Vascular lesions of the thalamus on the dominant and nondominant side

A clinicopathological study was done on 87 subjects with VPL lesions due to vascular pathology, with special reference to the difference of clinical manifestations between the right and left sides. Thalamic pain was far more common in VPL lesions on the right side. The responsible lesions for thalamic pain were observed in lesions of VPL and VPL extending to the internal capsule, while in the lesions of the VPL extending to the centrum medianum, central pain was rare. 2 cases with aphasia due to thalamic hemorrhage were found in this series, both in the dominant hemisphere. It is suggested that the thalamus in the dominant hemisphere may be related to speech and in the nondominant to a central pain mechanism.