It’s understandable why individuals get weary when visiting relatives undergoing neurological rehabilitation; it’s difficult to predict how they will react and often innocent intentions can be met with a harsh scolding. However, a new study suggests that a simple change in body language can have radical effects on the responses you receive and offers new rehabilitation options for patients.
Despite impairment of the left visual field in patients with right parietal lobe damage, what is considered their blindside may in fact not be as blind as initially expected. Seeming uncomfortable may inadvertently lead to fearful body language being displayed and increase the likelihood of detection, regardless of the position in relation to the patient. …show more content…
It’s important to note that the parietal lobe is responsible for interpreting visual information and this was Tamietto’s reasoning for involving this type of patient.
For one hour, each of the patients was briefly shown a photo which offered either happy, fearful or neutral body language and then asked which visual field the stimulus which they detected was shown. Images appeared in either both the left visual field and right visual field, or only one side.
Results concluded that fearful body expression was spotted more often. Even when a happy or neutral image was placed in the stronger, right visual field, if a fearful image was placed in the left it would be seen first – meaning attention blindness was overcome.
The emotional aspect of Tamietto’s study is quite innovative; “I wanted to expand upon Downing’s original findings and discover the reason why attention is drawn to detect faces and bodies more than other objects.” Tamietto’s study builds on the foundation of Downing’s 2003 study where Downing revealed that attention detects bodies and faces faster and more frequently than any other object presented but neglected to attribute probable emotional influence on detection.
A New Hope - Advancing rehabilitation
Despite impairment of the left visual field in patients with right parietal lobe damage, what is considered their blindside may in fact not be as blind as initially expected. Seeming uncomfortable may inadvertently lead to fearful body language being displayed and increase the likelihood of detection, regardless of the position in relation to the patient. …show more content…
It’s important to note that the parietal lobe is responsible for interpreting visual information and this was Tamietto’s reasoning for involving this type of patient.
For one hour, each of the patients was briefly shown a photo which offered either happy, fearful or neutral body language and then asked which visual field the stimulus which they detected was shown. Images appeared in either both the left visual field and right visual field, or only one side.
Results concluded that fearful body expression was spotted more often. Even when a happy or neutral image was placed in the stronger, right visual field, if a fearful image was placed in the left it would be seen first – meaning attention blindness was overcome.
The emotional aspect of Tamietto’s study is quite innovative; “I wanted to expand upon Downing’s original findings and discover the reason why attention is drawn to detect faces and bodies more than other objects.” Tamietto’s study builds on the foundation of Downing’s 2003 study where Downing revealed that attention detects bodies and faces faster and more frequently than any other object presented but neglected to attribute probable emotional influence on detection.
A New Hope - Advancing rehabilitation