Analysing constructional aspects of figure completion for the diagnosis of visuo-spatial neglect

Visuospatial neglect (VSN) is a condition following a stroke or head injury whereby a patient fails to respond to stimuli on one side of the visual field. A standard clinical assessment technique for analysis of VSN is a pencil-and-paper based figure drawing task. Traditional static analysis of this task involves assessing the presence of the major components of the drawing. Marking of drawings is subjective, relying on assessors' own judgement and experience, and therefore no standardisation exists between assessors. Using a computer-based test capture system, this paper establishes a standardised performance assessment for a drawing task including a series of novel dynamic performance features pertaining to the timing and constructional aspects of test performance. A case study of two patients demonstrates the ability to detect VSN from a response which would have traditionally been assessed as normal and hence improve the sensitivity of the task.