Patterns of dysgrap hia in primary progressive aphasia compared to post-stroke aphasia

Issue title: Primary Progressive Aphasia and Post-Stroke Aphasia: Some Complementary Insights into Brain-Behavior Relationships/Hemispatial Neglect and Related Disorders

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Faria, Andreia V. | Crinion, Jenny | Tsapkini, Kyrana | Newhart, Melissa | Davis, Cameron | Cooley, Shannon | Mori, Susumu | Hillis, Argye E.^{; ;}

Affiliations: Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | University College London, London, UK | Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA | Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Argye E. Hillis, MD, Meyer 6-113, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. Tel.: +1 410 614 2381; Fax: +1 410 955 0672; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: We report patterns of dysgraphia in participants with primary progressive aphasia that can be explained by assuming disruption of one or more cognitive processes or representations in the complex process of spelling. These patterns are compared to those described in participants with focal lesions (stroke). Using structural imaging techniques, we found that damage to the left extrasylvian regions, including the uncinate, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and sagittal stratum (including geniculostriate pathway and inferior longitudinal fasciculus), as well as other deep white and grey matter structures, was significantly associated with impairments in access to orthographic word forms and semantics (with reliance on phonology-to-orthography to produce a plausible spelling in the spelling to dictation task). These results contribute not only to our understanding of the patterns of dysgraphia following acquired brain damage but also the neural substrates underlying spelling.

Keywords: Dysgraphia, primary progressive aphasia, phonology, orthography, MRI

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-110237

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 1-2, pp. 21-34, 2013