[The comprehension and production of pantomimes from a cognitive model of processing]

At present in the literature there are basically two different perspectives to explain the relation between the capacity to discriminate pantomimes and the capacity to produce them, within the framework of present-day models concerning praxes. The first of these positions suggests the need for two separate systems (action lexicons), one for discrimination (action input lexicon) and another for gestural production (action output lexicon). The other alternative holds that the structures used for production are the same as those responsible for discriminating gestures. The aim of this study is to report the cases of two patients with complementary dissociations between the discrimination and the production of pantomimes.

We describe the performance of two female patients evaluated with a cognitive battery for evaluating apraxias. Patient 1 had difficulties in discriminating pantomimes with relative preservation when executing them, whereas patient 2 found it hard to perform pantomimes with relative preservation when discriminating them.

The findings, that is, the presence of a double dissociation between discrimination and performance of pantomimes, add support to the proposed existence of two different systems, one for the discrimination and one for the production of gestures.