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Hemispatial factors in mirror writing
L J Buxbaum1, H B Coslett, R R Schall
1Research Institute, Moss Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19141.
Neuropsychologia
|December 1, 1993
Summary
Left hemisphere stroke patients performing mirror writing produced more mirrored words in the right hemispace. This suggests right hemispace writing activates the damaged left hemisphere, impairing motor control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurolinguistics
Background:
- Investigating the influence of spatial hemispace on motor-writing tasks in patients with neurological damage.
- Examining the relationship between brain hemisphere activation and writing performance.
Observation:
- Two left-handed patients with left hemisphere strokes exhibited mirror writing tendencies.
- Writing performance was analyzed based on whether it occurred in the left or right body hemispace.
Findings:
- Patients produced significantly more mirrored words when writing in their right hemispace compared to their left hemispace.
- Writing in the right hemispace is hypothesized to activate the damaged left hemisphere, disrupting motor program translation for the left hand.
- Conversely, writing in the left hemispace engages the intact right hemisphere's spatial system, facilitating correct motor execution.
Implications:
- The findings suggest a hemispheric specialization for spatial processing in writing and motor control.
- Understanding hemispace effects can inform rehabilitation strategies for stroke patients with writing impairments.
- This research highlights the complex interplay between damaged and intact brain regions in compensatory motor behaviors.