A Common Network in the Left Cerebral Hemisphere Represents Planning of Tool Use Pantomimes and Familiar Intransitive Gestures at the Hand-Independent Level

Hypotheses about the emergence of human cognitive abilities postulate strong evolutionary links between language and praxis, including the possibility that language was originally gestural. The present review considers functional and neuroanatomical links between language and praxis in brain-damaged patients with aphasia and/or apraxia. The neural systems supporting these functions are predominantly located in the left hemisphere. There are many parallels between action and language for recognition, imitation and gestural communication suggesting that they rely partially on large, common networks, differentially recruited depending on the nature of the task. However, this relationship is not unequivocal and the production and understanding of gestural communication are dependent on the context in apraxic patients and remains to be clarified in aphasic patients. The phonological, semantic and syntactic levels of language seem to share some common cognitive resources with the praxic system. In conclusion, neuropsychological observations do not allow support or rejection of the hypothesis that gestural communication may have constituted an evolutionary link between tool use and language. Rather they suggest that the complexity of human behaviour is based on large interconnected networks and on the evolution of specific properties within strategic areas of the left cerebral hemisphere.

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Left Cerebral Hemisphere

10.32388/5mdc0w ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere

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A discussion of apraxia, aphasia, and gestural language

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.1984.246.6.r884 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 246 (6) ◽

pp. R884-R887

Author(s):

N. Helm-Estabrooks

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Communication Disorder ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Language Behavior ◽

Normal Language ◽

Symbolic Gestures ◽

The Many ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Brain

It is understood that damage to the left cerebral hemisphere in adulthood may result in syndromes of language disturbances called the aphasias. The study of these syndromes sheds light on normal language processes, the relationship between language behavior and the brain, and how best to treat aphasic individuals. Aphasia, for some, is a central communication disorder affecting all symbolic behavior in all modalities (i.e., speech, writing, and gesture). Difficulty producing symbolic gestures on command is called apraxia. Others view aphasia as a manifestation of a motor-sequencing disorder affecting all gestural systems including those required for speech movements. These divergent theories of the underlying nature of aphasia can be tested through examination of deaf individuals who use sign language before onset of aphasia. Poizner et al. [Am. J. Physiol. 246 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 15): R868-R883, 1984] studied three such patients with different aphasia syndromes: one patient had a nonsymbolic, motor-sequencing disorder; one had a gestural apraxia; and one had neither. These findings force the conclusion that neither the symbolic nor motor-sequencing theory of aphasia can account for the many varieties of that disorder.

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On the Amount of Water and Phosphorus contained in the Cerebral Hemispheres, and Spinal Cord in General Paralysis of the Insane, and in other Conditions. (Arch. of Lond. Co. Asylums, 1899). Wakelin Barratt, J. O

Journal of Mental Science ◽

10.1192/bjp.47.198.599 ◽

1901 ◽

Vol 47 (198) ◽

pp. 599-600

Author(s):

Bernard Stracey

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Basal Ganglia ◽

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Cerebral Hemispheres ◽

General Paralysis ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere

In this investigation the left cerebral hemisphere alone was used in each case, the basal ganglia having been previously removed.

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Limb apraxia in aphasic patients

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0004-282x20170150 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 75 (11) ◽

pp. 767-772 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Karin Zazo Ortiz ◽

Joana Mantovani-Nagaoka

Keyword(s):

Healthy Volunteers ◽

Case Studies ◽

Good Predictor ◽

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Lexical Semantic ◽

Numerous Case ◽

Limb Apraxia ◽

Motor Movements ◽

Motor Difficulties

ABSTRACT Limb apraxia is usually associated with left cerebral hemisphere damage, with numerous case studies involving aphasic patients. The aim of this study was to verify the occurrence of limb apraxia in aphasic patients and analyze its nature. This study involved 44 healthy volunteers and 28 aphasic patients matched for age and education. AH participants were assessed using a limb apraxia battery comprising subtests evaluating lexical-semantic aspects related to the comprehension/production of gestures as well as motor movements. Aphasics had worse performances on many tasks related to conceptual components of gestures. The difficulty found on the imitation of dynamic gesture tasks also indicated that there were specific motor difficulties in gesture planning. These results reinforce the importance of conducting limb apraxia assessment in aphasic patients and also highlight pantomime difficulties as a good predictor for semantic disturbances.

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ON HEMIPLEGIA AND HEMIANÆSTHESIA IN AN IDIOT BOY, AS THE RESULT OF PARALYSIS OF THE LEFT CEREBRAL HEMISPHERE, FOLLOWING A BLOW ON THE HEAD

Brain ◽

10.1093/brain/3.4.536 ◽

1881 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 536-541

Author(s):

DONALD FRASER

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere

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Relation between Hemispheric Specialization and Gross Motor Control in Normal Right-Handed Children

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1986.63.3.1227 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 1227-1231 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harriet Williams ◽

Peter Werner ◽

George Purgavie

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Hemispheric Specialization ◽

Gross Motor ◽

Projection System ◽

Control Center ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Processing Information ◽

Hand Coordination ◽

The Right ◽

Abstract Shapes

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between gross-motor, eye-hand coordination and hemispheric specialization in normal right-handed children. Participants were 30 children, 75–99 mo. 15 boys and 15 girls performed a gross-motor eye-hand coordination task (a controlled, continuous one-handed ball bounce) and a test of hemispheric specialization. A backscreen tachistoscopic projection system was used to present letters and abstract shapes to left and right visual hemifields. A multivariate analysis of variance yielded a significant main effect for eye-hand coordination but not for sex. Follow-up analyses indicated that speed and accuracy of responses to verbal and spatial stimuli presented to the left cerebral hemisphere were significantly related to proficiency of eye-hand coordination. Data suggest that certain aspects of hemispheric specialization may be important to gross-motor eye-hand coordination in young children. Since the left cerebral hemisphere is the major control center for movements of the right side, the hemisphere which controls movements of a particular side may also assume the major responsibility for processing information needed to regulate those movements.

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BT-05 A CASE OF GLIOMATOSIS CEREBRI WITH TOTAL SPINAL CORD EXTENSION

Neuro-Oncology Advances ◽

10.1093/noajnl/vdz039.167 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. ii37-ii37

Author(s):

Yasuyoshi Chiba ◽

Osamu Takemoto ◽

Junji Yamada ◽

Takaki Matsumura

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

Tumor Volume ◽

Spinal Cord Tumor ◽

Gliomatosis Cerebri ◽

Eye Enucleation ◽

Left Cerebral Hemisphere ◽

First Occurrence ◽

History Of ◽

Important Disease

Abstract INTRODUCTION Although gliomatosis cerebri is no longer a pathological diagnostic name, it is still an important disease state as a gliomatosis cerebri growth pattern. Here we report a case of gliomatosis cerebri originating from the left cerebral hemisphere that developed whole spinal cord. CASE A 10-year-old boy. He has a history of 13q-syndrome and left retinoblastoma. Left eye enucleation and chemotherapy (modified 98A1) have been performed. MRI in July 2017 showed no abnormalities, but in September 2018, he developed epilepsy. MRI revealed a gliomatosis cerebri that spreads extensively in the left cerebral hemisphere. Biopsy revealed anaplastic astrocytoma (MIB-1 LI; 22%, IDH1 / 2; WT, TERT C228T mutation positive) and IMRT (59.4Gy) and temozolomide (Stupp regimen) were performed in December 2018. In June 2019, neck pain developed. Head and neck MRI revealed that the tumor in the head increased lightly, and there was no suspicion of tumor growth in the brainstem, but the tumor progressed to the entire spinal cord. Therefore, radiation therapy was started from the lower brainstem that had not been irradiated last time to the entire spinal cord, and administration of bevacizumab was started. DISCUSSION Based on the single cell origin theory, the left hemisphere tumor and spinal cord tumor should be continuous. Since gliomatosis cerebri is visualized on MRI only after the tumor volume has increased and edema has occurred, it may appear as if there is no tumor in between. The spinal cord MRI was not taken, so it is only speculation, but it seems that tumor cells had probably infiltrated the spinal cord from the beginning, and it seems that it gradually increased because it was not irradiated. Considering the possibility of remote invasion as in this case, it is necessary to consider taking MRI of spinal cord at the first occurrence.

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