Clinical Research Directory

Dynamic Auditory Cueing for Spatial Neglect in Stroke

Spatial neglect is a common condition after stroke and can make it difficult for people to pay attention to one side of space. This problem can negatively affect daily activities and functional independence. This study aims to evaluate whether dynamic auditory cueing for spatial neglect (DAC-SN) can improve spatial neglect in people with stroke. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives conventional rehabilitation, while the other group receives conventional rehabilitation combined with dynamic auditory cueing. Dynamic auditory cueing uses moving sounds to guide attention toward the affected side. The intervention is applied for about ten minutes per day, five days a week, for four weeks. Spatial neglect and functional outcomes are assessed using standardized clinical tests and scales at baseline and at predefined time points during and after the intervention. The results of this study may provide evidence for the use of auditory-based approaches in the rehabilitation of spatial neglect after stroke.

Standardization of Spatial Neglect Assessment Tests

Spatial neglect is a common cognitive disorder in stroke patients, characterized by a lateralized deficit in attention and intention. This research focuses on defining norms for tests to assess spatial neglect. The norms correspond to the results obtained in a population free of any disorder that could have an impact on test performance. These results can vary in a normal, non-pathological way, with certain parameters such as age, sex, laterality or level of education. Defining these norms in healthy volunteers is therefore essential for interpreting results in patients suspected of spatial neglect, and in particular for defining pathological thresholds above which the diagnosis of spatial neglect can be retained. To answer the research question, we plan to include 210 people with no central neurological disease (stroke, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis in particular), in a single-center study in the neurovascular department of the Raymond-Poincaré hospital (Garches). The 210 subjects will be divided into 10-year age groups, from 20 to 89 years, with the recruitment of 30 participants per age group (15 men and 15 women): 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, 80-89 years.