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[Crossed aphasia: description of a case]
A Rodríguez Campello1, J Pascual Calvet, E Munteis
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario del Mar, Barcelona. arodriguezc@meditex.es
Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain)
|September 26, 2000
Summary
This study details a rare case of crossed aphasia in a right-handed man with a right brain lesion. The patient experienced mutism and expressive aphasia, highlighting unusual hemispheric language representation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Crossed aphasia is a rare condition where a lesion in the right cerebral hemisphere causes aphasia in right-handed individuals.
- This phenomenon challenges traditional models of language lateralization, which typically associate language functions with the left hemisphere.
Observation:
- A 76-year-old right-handed male presented with sudden left hemiparesis, sensory impairment, and mutism.
- Cerebral imaging revealed a large right middle cerebral artery infarct with hemorrhagic suffusion; the left hemisphere was intact.
- Aphasia testing confirmed mutism with preserved verbal comprehension but present alexia, persisting a year later despite motor recovery.
Findings:
- The case demonstrates crossed aphasia resulting from a right hemispheric lesion in a right-handed subject.
- Initial mutism evolved into expressive aphasia, with impaired fluency being a common characteristic.
- Neuroimaging findings, including CT and MRI, showed a significant right-sided lesion, with PET/SPECT studies indicating extended right-hemispheric hypometabolism.
Implications:
- This case underscores the variability in brain lateralization for language and the potential for right-hemisphere involvement.
- Understanding crossed aphasia mechanisms may offer insights into brain plasticity and recovery after stroke.
- Further research into the neurobiological underpinnings of crossed aphasia is warranted to refine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.