Effects of lateralized cerebral lesions on oral reading, reading comprehension, and spelling

This study used the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) to assess reading and spelling skills in a normal control group (n = 100) and in patients having cerebral damage in the left hemisphere (LH; n = 86) or right hemisphere (RH; n = 76). Relative to the normals, both brain-damaged groups were impaired on PIAT Reading Comprehension and Spelling. Only the LH group was impaired on PIAT Reading Recognition. PIAT performances were strongly related to extent of brain damage within the left hemisphere, but not within the right. Similarly, whereas reading and spelling deficits were associated with temporal- and occipital-lobe involvement in the LH group, presence or absence of specific lobe involvement was unrelated to PIAT performance in the RH group. Relationships also were assessed between PIAT performances and demographic variables and the Average Impairment Rating from the Halstead-Reitan Battery.