Balint’s Syndrome

Short Description or Definition

Balint’s syndrome was first described by Rezső Bálint in 1909. It consists of three visuospatial abnormalities: simultanagnosia, optic ataxia, and ocular motor apraxia. The syndrome typically occurs in the absence of visual field deficits. Individuals with Balint’s syndrome experience significant perceptual limitations. Patients with this syndrome cannot perceive more than one object at a time. They experience great impairments in their ability to explore visual space: they have difficulty navigating through their environment; they get lost easily; and they experience difficulty reaching for or grasping items in need.

Balint’s syndrome is usually associated with large bilateral lesions in the dorsal occipitoparietal region and is consequently rare. The most common causes of Balint’s syndrome include ischemia (particularly watershed infarctions) and degenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, posterior cortical atrophy). Balint’s syndrome can also...