What is primarily affected in a person experiencing hemispatial neglect?

In a person experiencing hemispatial neglect, attentional focus is primarily affected. This neurological condition often occurs after a right hemisphere stroke, which leads to a lack of awareness or attention to the left side of space. Individuals with hemispatial neglect may fail to notice objects, people, or even their own body parts on the neglected side, which is indicative of a disruption in their ability to focus attention.

This condition highlights the critical role that the parietal lobes play in spatial attention and awareness, rather than impacting memory recall, affect regulation, or language processing directly. While these other functions can be indirectly influenced by the attentional deficits present in hemispatial neglect, the main characteristic of the condition is the impairment in the ability to direct attention to one side of the environment.