Which test is particularly sensitive to right-hemisphere visuospatial impairment and neglect when assessing construction?

• A. Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure copy
• B. Clock Drawing Test
• C. Boston Naming Test
• D. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

Answer: (A)

Visuospatial construction hinges on how the brain organizes space and plans complex actions, a function heavily supported by the right hemisphere’s parietal networks. The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure copy task is particularly good at revealing problems in this area because it requires copying a single, intricate figure with accurate spatial relations, organization, and sequencing. If there’s right-hemisphere dysfunction, you often see left-sided neglect or omissions, misplacement of elements, and a disorganized overall structure in the copied figure. These patterns are classic signs of constructional praxis disruption tied to right-hemisphere visuospatial handling, making this task especially sensitive to those impairments.

Clock Drawing Test also taps visuospatial ability and can hint at parietal problems, but it’s a simpler, briefer measure and may miss subtler constructional deficits or neglect. The Boston Naming Test focuses on language and lexical retrieval, which implicates left-hemisphere processes rather than visuospatial construction. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test emphasizes frontal-executive functions like set-shifting and problem-solving, not the visuospatial construction skills highlighted by the figure copy task.

So, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure copy stands out for its direct assessment of constructional ability and its heightened sensitivity to right-hemisphere visuospatial impairment and neglect.