Final Answer:
The region of the brain affected in hemineglect syndrome is the parietal lobe. Hemineglect syndrome is characterized by the inability to attend and respond to stimuli on one side of the body and space. It commonly occurs as a result of damage to the right parietal lobe, which is responsible for spatial attention and awareness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hemineglect syndrome, also known as unilateral neglect, hemispatial neglect, or spatial neglect, is a common and disabling condition following brain damage. Patients with hemineglect fail to be aware of items to one side of space. The most common cause of hemineglect is damage to the right hemisphere of the human brain, particularly following a stroke.
The region of the brain affected in hemineglect syndrome is typically the nondominant parietal lobe, which is the left parietal lobe in most right-handed individuals. Other areas, such as the frontal lobe, can rarely cause hemineglect as well. Cortical damage in the right hemisphere, including the angular (ang) and supramarginal (smg) gyri of the inferior parietal lobe, has been associated with neglect. Subcortical ischemic lesions in the territory of the middle cerebral artery involving the right basal ganglia or thalamus may also produce neglect, but this may reflect diaschisis or hypoperfusion in overlying parietal and frontal regions. Some patients with posterior cerebral artery territory stroke also suffer from neglect, although these individuals have been less well studied.
In addition to cortical damage, damage to the medial temporal lobe, specifically the parahippocampal region, has been observed to lead to neglect in some cases. This area has strong connections with the parietal cortex and may be considered an important gateway for parietal information to the hippocampus.