[Language disorders in a right frontal lesion in a right-handed patient. Incoherent speech and extravagant paraphasias. Neuropsychologic study]

Rev Neurol (Paris). 1983;139(1):45-53.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Clinical, neuropsychological, and CT scan data are reported in a patient with a right prefrontal hematoma following meningeal hemorrhage due to the rupture of an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery. Over a period of six weeks, before and after surgery, the patient presented a particular type of language disorder characterized by incoherent speech, verbal paraphasias, unexpected or guided along ideic perseverations, emphatic and affected terms, and impossibility of brief responses, particularly in denomination tests. Contrasting with the absurdity of the discourse, the respect of oral comprehension, the absence of grammatical disorders, and the perfect phonemic and phonetic organization provided evidence of the integrity of the linguistic code. The purely semantic disturbance, however, was the cause of the apparent alteration in reasoning and judgment. A major amnestic syndrome was also present. It improved concomitantly with the language disorders. The explanation proposed is that of a disturbance of an attention process and of word selection due to a prefrontal lesion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / psychology*
  • Frontal Lobe* / physiopathology
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / complications
  • Language Disorders / etiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rupture, Spontaneous
  • Speech Disorders / etiology