Which form of neglect is characterized by reduced response or recognition of tactile stimulation beyond any hemisensory deficit?

• A. Motor neglect
• B. Tactile neglect
• C. Visuospatial neglect
• D. Auditory neglect

Answer: (B)

Tactile neglect is a neglect syndrome where attention to touch on the contralesional side is reduced, even though basic touch sensation is intact. The key idea is that the problem is not the skin or nerves failing to sense touch, but a failure to attend to or recognize tactile input on one side due to higher‑level processing deficits. This is most often seen after unilateral parietal damage, typically in the right hemisphere, leading to neglect of the left side.

Think of it as an attentional problem focused on touch: the person may respond to touch on the right, but show reduced response to touch on the left even when their primary sense of touch is present. This differentiates it from a hemisensory deficit, where true sensory loss would limit detection regardless of attention. Other forms of neglect involve different modalities or spaces—motor neglect affects use of a limb, visuospatial neglect affects perception of the left side of space, and auditory neglect involves attention to sounds on one side.