Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Assessment of Cerebral Lateralization in Children using Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (fTCD)
Published on: September 27, 2010
Language following functional left hemispherectomy in a bilingual teenager
Natacha Trudeau1, Paola Colozzo, Valérie Sylvestre
1Centre de réadaptation Marie-Enfant, Hôpital Sainte Justine, Montreal, Canada.
Abstract:
A detailed language assessment was conducted with MM, a 17-year-old bilingual teenager with Rasmussen syndrome who had undergone a left functional hemispherectomy. Results revealed important deficits in French and English, affecting expressive and receptive language in both the written and the oral modality. MM's linguistic profile was coherent with previous description of language function following left hemispherectomy, and what is known of the linguistic potential of the right hemisphere (RH). The impairment pattern showed overall similarities between French and English, thus supporting the existence of a common underlying system for these two languages. However, the profiles in each language were not identical, implying that distinct subsystems may also be at play. These findings support previous descriptions of acquired language impairments and recovery in bilingual individuals.
Related Concept Videos
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Cerebral Hemispheres
Lobes of the Cerebrum
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements.
Lateralization
Language and Cognition
Introduction to Language of Pathophysiology l

