Extinction

Synonyms

Extinction to double simultaneous stimulation (DSS); Sensory extinction

Short Description or Definition

Extinction refers to a failure to detect one of two simultaneously presented stimuli, even though when presented individually, each stimulus can be detected.

Categorization

Extinction during DSS can occur in the somatosensory, auditory, and visual modalities.

Epidemiology

Extinction most often occurs with damage to the right hemisphere usually seen after stroke or neoplasm. However, under rare circumstances, extinction has been shown to occur in normal individuals and in patients with left hemisphere lesions. Extinction is usually considered as a manifestation of the neglect syndrome but often persists after other symptoms of neglect resolve. Neglect in humans can occur with lesions in the inferior parietal lobe, dorsal frontal lobe, cingulated gyrus, basal ganglia, and thalamus but is most frequently observed after temporoparietal lesions.

Natural History, Prognostic...