Thalamic aphasia syndrome

Eighteen patients (11 male, 7 female) with left thalamic haemorrhage confirmed by CT-scan of the brain were investigated for their language function. Aphasia Test for Turkish Citizens modified from Mayo Clinic Aphasia Test and Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination were given for evaluating the language modalities. Fluent aphasia was observed in 16 subjects (with paraphasia in 8 and hypophonia in 3). Dysarthric speech output was seen in 2 cases. Repetition and naming were well preserved while comprehension was moderately affected. This type of aphasia differs considerably from the classical aphasias and its rapid recovery is a very prominent feature.