[Infarct in the area of the left anterior cerebral artery. II. Language disorders]

Language disturbances and other neuropsychological dysfunctions were evaluated in 10 right-handed patients with left anterior cerebral artery (ACA) infarcts with CT correlation. Transcortical motor aphasia was present in 4 cases, related to involvement of the supplementary motor area (SMA) or the underlying and immediately anterior white matter. In 4 patients with sparing of the SMA but with involvement of the cingulate region, only alterations of verbal memory were found. Sensory or mixed transcortical aphasia was not observed, in any of the patients, including those in whom the supplementary sensory area (SSA) or the underlying white matter were involved, casting doubt upon the presumed receptive role in language function attributed to the SSA by some authors. Buccolingual-facial apraxia was related to subcortical lesions. A callosal disconnection syndrome was uncommon (2 patients) and no hemi-neglect was encountered, even in those cases with cingulate involvement.