A new case of atypical cerebral dominance

A.V., a 73-year-old right-handed man, developed right hemiplegia and hemi-hypoaesthesia following a cerebrovascular accident. A large, left hemispheric lesion was revealed by CT scan but, despite this, the patient did not show any language impairment in either Italian or English (which he spoke fluently). However, he did show right visual neglect and visuo-spatial deficits, a neuropsychological picture that usually follows lesions to the non-dominant hemisphere. Given these clinical data, A.V.'s cerebral organisation seems to be reversed. This and previous cases reported in the literature are discussed.