Unilateral Spatial Neglect in a Child with Hemiplegic Migraine

Abstract

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a relatively common neurological disorder observed in patients after brain injury. Patients fail to attend to the contralesional side of space (1). Although USN is well documented in adults, it has been rarely reported in children (2-10). We present a child showing USN during an attack of hemiplegic migraine, without structural brain injury. The present report is the first in which USN during migraine is described.

Transient unilateral spatial neglect during aura in a woman with sporadic hemiplegic migraine

“…Although during aura in these patients could be present sensory, aphasic and basilar-type symptoms (2), associated with the motor involvement (1), the presence of unilateral neglect has been reported, to our knowledge, in only one case in childhood (3). We describe the first case in an adult woman with sporadic hemiplegic migraine.…”

“…Enoki et al. in 2006 described a 13-year-old girl showing USN during an attack of hemiplegic migraine (3); they hypothesize that left spatial neglect may be attributed to the cortical hypoperfusion that is developed transiently on the right hemisphere.…”

Visual Perception in Migraine: A Narrative Review

“…She collided frequently with obstacles on her left side and had a positive left neglect drawing test. All symptoms disappeared in 24 h [ 46 ]. Second, a 20-year-old woman with migraine with typical visual aura since the age of 15: during one of her attacks, she presented short-lasting scintillations in the right visual field, followed by a right-sided headache (14 h duration), together with left-sided paresthesia and hemiparesis, both persisting for four hours.…”

Transient nonverbal learning disorder in a child suffering from Familial Hemiplegic Migraine

“…Although transient neuropsychological impairment is not uncommon during a migraine attack (24), we found only one report describing brief unilateral spatial neglect during a hemiplegic migraine attack in a child revealed by administration of a neglect test and observation of drawing (25). Data collected from clinical examination, neuropsychological testing and teachers’ reports showed that our patient had a transient condition similar to NLD.…”