ABSTRACT
The ease with which any sector of extracorporal space is explored is determined by a concerted effort of a host of systems—perceptual, motor, attentional, volitional, and mnemonic—as well as the agenda of needs, drives, and emotions. They all determine whether one has “spatial competence” (i.e., the ability to handle specific spatial tasks in a way more efficient than if they were handled by other control systems). The competence of the system monitoring space around us becomes apparent in its breakdown. One such condition is known as unilateral spatial neglect (USN). In this case, competence is measured by the residual capacity for regulation, which could be defined in most general terms as a property of achieving normal function by abnormal means. Complete loss of regulation is direct proof of this control system’s uniqueness.
