8. Cortical dysfunction

Question 1

What is Broca’s dysphasia? How is it caused and how will Ps present?

Answer 1

Difficulty in expressing language as a result of lesion in frontal lobe (Broca’s area) in dominant hemisphere (usually left).

Can be caused by disease (vascular, neoplastic or degenerative) or trauma (head injury). 85% caused by stroke - more common in elderly.

Symptoms:

• slow and halting speech (but good semantic content)
• comprehension usually good
• awareness of language difficulties

Question 2

What is Wernicke’s dysphasia? How is it caused and how will Ps present?

Answer 2

Difficulty in language comprehension as a result of lesion in temporal lobe (Wernicke’s area) in dominant hemisphere (usually left).

Can be caused by disease (vascular, neoplastic or degenerative) or trauma (head injury). 85% caused by stroke - more common in elderly.

Symptoms:

• fluent speech lacking semantic content (talk nonsense)
• unaware of speech difficulties

Question 3

What would be the effect of removal of the hippocampus?

Answer 3

inability to form new declarative memories

Question 4

what is meant by the term ‘split-brain P’?

Answer 4

P in whom corpus callosum has been severed, e.g. to treat refractory epilepsy. Causes inability of the 2 brain hemispheres to communicate.