Sentence:  This circumstance in the patient 's case plus the fact that his tactual capacity remained <WSD>basically</WSD> in sound working order constitutes its exceptional value for the problem at hand since the evidence presented by the authors is overwhelming that , when the patient closed his eyes , he had absolutely no spatial ( that is , third-dimensional ) awareness whatsoever . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature