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PubMed1984

Alexia without agraphia: a study of a case of verbal alexia without accompanying colour-naming defect.

A 47-year-old man developed a persistent form of alexia without agraphia as the result of a haemorrhagic intracerebral lesion in the left inferior temporo-occipital region, due to the rupture of an arteriovenous malformation. Surgical evacuation of the haematoma and excision of the malformation did not produce any modification of the reading deficit, which remained unchanged during a 4-year follow-up. The reading deficit was restricted to words and the patient was able to read only letter-by-letter, so that the whole words were reconstructed from the auditory names of the letters. So far, the disconnection explanation is the standard explanation of alexia without agraphia and the present case of verbal alexia may be regarded as being within this overall category. However, this explanation meets with unanswered questions that suggest more flexible interpretations. Neurolinguistic studies have questioned the unique character of alexia without agraphia as a clinical entity and, in contrast to the disconnection hypothesis, support the notion that the different varieties of alexia that are traditionally described represent distinctive syndromes, each with its own clinical features and pathophysiological basis. In this context, the reading properties in this case seem fully compatible with a deficit of the visual word-form system postulated by Warrington and Shallice, that is, the relatively early stage of the reading process through which a word-form or equivalent unit is attained. This system might be lateralized to the left hemisphere, as suggested by the fact that this case, like other cases of verbal alexia, had sustained damage to the left hemisphere and did not show any differential preservation of the reading of concrete words.

Brain↗
PubMed1985

Clonidine in essential tremor: preliminary observations from an open trial.

The authors present ten cases of essential tremor, studied before and after administration of clonidine with clinical tests and electrophysiological recordings. Improvement due to the desynchronizing effect of clonidine on tremor was observed in all cases. Possible mechanisms acting on the central and peripheral nervous system are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

[Examinations by psychological tests in basic stages and pure residual syndromes of schizophrenic diseases (author's transl)].

Three groups of schizophrenic diseases which cannot be differentiated with regard to psychopathological cross-section syndromes were investigated by psychological tests: one group (22 cases) of reversible postpsychotic basic stages and two groups of pure residual syndromes with an average duration of disease of 9.3 years (20 cases) and 17.5 years (21 cases). All three groups revealed findings deviating significantly from the norm. The pathological values were most marked in the performance scale of HAWIE (Hamburg-WAIS), which in all groups showed a significant lowering of performance compared with verbal scale (which corresponds approximately to the premorbid intelligence level), in "KVT" and in measures of sensory-motor reaction time by "Wiener Reaktionsgerät", less in "Benton test" and in examination with "Schreibdruckwaage". Reversible postpsychotic asthenic basic stages could not be significantly differentiated in psychological tests from pure residual syndromes which were comparable with regard to sex and age at the onset of the disease and--in the pure residues group of 1980--with regard to age and school success. The decrease of performance in the reaction test, in the concentration test of Abels, and in the averbal part of HAWIE correlated with symptoms and factors which were found with the help of "Frankfurter Beschwerdefragebogen" in the same patients. This positive correlation was more distinct in the reversible postpsychotic basic stages than in pure residues. The findings support the global hypothesis that the deficiencies of schizophrenic stages with a component of reversible or irreversible pure potential reduction are based on disturbances of perception and interpretation of information. Also that there are no fundamental differences between cerebro-organic or psychosyndromes of schizophrenic diseases determined by the dynamic and cognitive disorders of pure deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[The profile direction toward right and left as seen from a historical study of cultural development. A dominance problem (author's transl)].

Eighty percent of right handers drawing a human profile, direct it towards the left. The neurophysiological basis for this fact and the dominant role that the right hemisphere plays in higher visual performances is discussed. The preference for the left profile direction is traced back to the early Greek period in paintings, drawings, coin portraits, gems, cameos, and vase portraits. Fifty thousand objects have been analyzed. A 60% prevalence of face direction towards the right occurs in the cultural centers of the Mediterranean before 600 B.C. Before the early Greek period: the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Sumerian cultures faced more profiles to the right. This tendency for right profile direction can be traced back to Stone Age cave drawings. The profile shift from right to left occurs in the early Greek period and is related to a shift in script and in letter profile at the same time. This profile shift occurs simultaneously with an acceleration of intellectual and cultural development which also influenced our present culture. Although the percentage of right handers might not have changed considerably since the Stone Age, the profile shift from right to left suggests a hypothetical change in dominance of the cerebral hemispheres for the higher visual perception which may have induced a left preference in the period around 600 B.C.

Art↗
PubMed1982

[Slow brain potentials in writing: the correlation between writing hand and speech dominance in right-handed humans].

1. Slow cerebral potential shifts were recorded from the scalp over both cerebral hemispheres by retrograde summation while 23 right-handers were writing. Averaging included writing errors, but eliminated eye movements and other artifacts. Repeated writing of the same word or sentence was compared to writing different dictated words, to drawings, and to other control experiments. 2. Surface negative readiness potentials (Bereitschaftspotential) appeared about 1 s before writing, which was similar to those preceding other voluntary movements. 3. During writing, the writing potentials in different cortical regions began with a negative increase of the Bereitschaftspotential, usually followed by a plateau or positive waves. One or several biphasic potentials persisted for another 2 s after writing had ceased. 4. The writing potentials had rather constant forms in the same individual, but showed large interindividual variations of form and polarity. The largest initial negativity (with both ear lobes serving as reference) occurred at the vertex and the left motor region contralateral to the writing hand. 5. The left hemispheric preponderance of writing potentials, maximal at the precentral region contralateral to the writing hand, was less marked when writing with the left hand. An interaction of the writing hand and language dominance is assumed. 6. Writing the same word or short sentence repeatedly caused potentials of larger amplitude than the preceding readiness potentials. Writing dictated words or drawing figures after verbal stimuli that require language processing caused larger potentials in the left hemisphere than did repeated word writing. 7. The fact that negative potentials with larger left hemispheric amplitudes appear after verbal stimuli may indicate that language information is processed in the speech-dominant hemisphere before and during writing or drawing. 8. By variously combining bipolar leads, the lateral differences of the potential fields can be more clearly distinguished than by using only unipolar leads with ear reference.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

A model of a human recognition system with 'thinking'.

The human system of pattern recognition is explored. This system utilizes the method of syntactic feature comparison, activation of the patterns containing the feature, and sorting among the activated patterns. Both the pattern recognition process without thinking and with thinking are discussed, and examples are given. Contrary to the usual concept, the more complicated pattern has a better chance to be recognized correctly.

Computers↗
PubMed1988

rCBF landscapes during motor performance and motor ideation of a graphic gesture.

The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) distribution was measured by 133xenon inhalation using a gamma camera in 18 right-handed volunteers, 6 subjects performing a graphic task (writing numbers in letters) with the right hand, 6 subjects imagining the same task, and 6 subjects were assessed during two rest periods to determine the reproducibility of the technique. The mean rCBF increased between 10% and 25% (P less than 0.01) during both motor performance and motor ideation. However, there were regional differences. While motor performance activated mainly the rolandic regions bilaterally, motor ideation gave prefrontal and premotor rCBF augmentations. In both situations there was significant bilateral increase in regions corresponding to the cerebellum.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[The graphic disconnection syndrome].

A method is proposed for studying writing ability in both hands of agraphic aphasics with hemiplegia. In cases with agraphia performance when writing dictation was superior with the paralysed arm. Literal paragraphia was more frequent in the left hand and verbal paragraphia and perseveration were found exclusively on the left side. In a control group of aphasics with agraphia but without hemiplegia, these differences were not noted. It is concluded that this hitherto unknown phenomenon is caused by intersection of the path between the graphic region of the dominant hemisphere and the corpus callosum. Therefore the syndrome is termed "graphic disconnection syndrome".

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Orientation of art, orientation of writing and visual field dominance. An experimental and cultural historical study].

Investigations have shown that 75% of children aged 3-6 years, who have not as yet acquired the ability to write, tend to draw and sketch from the left to the right side. The same tendency has also been found in adults with regard to drawing, which indicates a dominance of the left field of vision when the cerebral optical analysis is used, as it invariably is for the appreciation of three-dimensional figures. The tendency to draw from the left to the right side can be traced back to works of art that date from as far back as the 6th century B.C. Before the 6th century B.C. and way back into the prehistoric period, the direction seems to have been the reverse, i.e. there was a tendency to draw from the right to the left side. Evidence showing that this was true in up to 80% of cases can be found on vase paintings with either geometric shapes or animals. These findings, together with those of earlier publications, are interpreted as evidence that a shift of dominance has taken place during the history of mankind. It is assumed that together with the increasing significance of language and writing, associated with the left cerebral hemisphere, there was also a development toward a right-sided dominance as regards optical analysis.

Art↗
PubMed1985

[Number agraphia].

One hundred and seventy-five aphasic patients (50 total, 50 mixed, 50 motor-amnesic and 25 sensory-amnesic aphasics) were tested for the writing to dictation of numbers with more than one digit. Twelve types of error were found. The percentages for the different types of error were determined for all subtypes of aphasic patients and for the total group of patients. In 98% of the aphasic subjects at least one or several types of error were ascertained. In all, 80.6% of the patients were unable to write correctly a number of three digits. Certain types of disturbances, such as macrographia, serial writing, perseveration and mirror writing, occurred more often when numbers were dictated than when words or letters were dictated. In the patients with sensory-amnesic aphasia these disturbances were found more often than in those with motor-amnesic aphasia. With respect to German-speaking patients, a particular type of error concerns the serial ordering of numbers with more than one digit (Stellenwertfehler). This type of error was found in 34.9% of our patients. Our results suggest standard examinations of aphasic patients should include the writing to dictation of numbers with more than one digit.

Agraphia↗
PubMed1984

The efficacy of relaxation training with children.

This paper reviews studies that have examined the efficacy of relaxation training techniques in the treatment of childhood disorders. Methodological problems encountered in doing research in this area resemble those found in working with an adult population: imprecise definitions of subject populations and use of a variety of dependent variables from one study to another. Findings suggest that relaxation training is at least as effective as other treatment approaches for a variety of learning, behavioral, and physiological disorders when it is continued over an extended period of time and is augmented by other supportive measures. Needs for future research include better follow-up studies and further investigations with a behaviorally disruptive population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Neurotherapy for stroke rehabilitation: a single case study.

A 55-year-old male subject was treated with a two-tiered neurotherapy approach for a period of six months beginning approximately one year after a left-side CVA. Medical evaluation revealed left posterior temporal/parietal infarctions secondary to occlusion of the left internal carotid artery. The patient complained of hesitant speech with word finding difficulty and paraphasia, difficulty focusing his right eye, lack of balance and coordination, poor short-term memory, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, and tinnitus. A quantitative electroencephalograph (QEEG) analysis revealed increased left-side 4-7-Hz activity and alpha persistence on eye opening. Two neurotherapy approaches were used beginning with electroencephalographic entrainment feedback (EEF). This was followed by neurofeedback to inhibit 4-7 Hz and increase 15-21 Hz over sensorimotor and speech areas. At the conclusion of treatment there were significant reductions in slow-wave activity. Improvement was evident in speech fluency, word finding, balance and coordination, attention, and concentration. Depression, anxiety, and tinnitus were greatly reduced.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗