Intermanual Differences on Motor and Psychomotor Tests in Alcoholics: No Evidence for Selective Right-Hemisphere Dysfunction

1997 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Kwon ◽  
Sean B. Rourke ◽  
Igor Grant
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Motor Speed ◽  
Psychomotor Tests ◽  
Chronic Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Right Hemisphere Dysfunction ◽  
Motor Dexterity ◽  
The Right

Some previous studies have suggested that alcoholics exhibit selective right-hemisphere dysfunction, based on alcoholics' poor performance on tests believed to subserve the right hemisphere. However, some of these experiments did not account adequately for differences in difficulty or novelty in putative right hemisphere tasks. This experiment was designed to evaluate and compare intermanual differences in grip strength, motor speed, fine-motor dexterity, and nonverbal problem-solving ability in 93 recently detoxified alcoholics, 54 long-term abstinent alcoholics, and 73 nonalcoholic controls. All subjects were right-handed men, matched for age and education, and both alcoholic groups had similar drinking histories. Using percent difference scores to assess intermanual differences, adjusted for demographics where appropriate, we found that, although recently detoxified alcoholics demonstrate some motor and psychomotor impairments, there is no evidence using these tests to suggest the right hemisphere is selectively more vulnerable to the effects of chronic alcohol abuse.

The right hemisphere: neuropsychological functions

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 693-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Heilman ◽  
Dawn Bowers ◽  
Edward Valenstein ◽  
Robert T. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Right Hemisphere Damage ◽  
Right Hemisphere Dysfunction ◽  
Neuropsychological Functions ◽  
The Right ◽  
Fine Print

✓ In the past two to three decades, clinicians and neuroscientists have been studying the functions of the right hemisphere. Neither hemisphere seems to be dominant in the absolute sense. Each appears to be specialized and is dominant for different functions. However, most functions require the cooperation of both hemispheres. When one is damaged, the other can often compensate for the damaged one. Lesions of the left hemisphere are associated with language (speech, reading, and writing) and praxic disorders, and lesions of the right hemisphere can result in visuospatial, attentional, and emotional disorders. The authors review some of the major behavioral disorders associated with right hemisphere dysfunction and concentrate on three major types of disorders — visuospatial, attentional, and emotional. Although not all the behavioral defects associated with right hemisphere damage can be subgrouped under these three types, they are the ones most often associated with right hemisphere lesions.

scholarly journals Fundamental Nature of Human Infant's Brain Asymmetry

1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhn A. Wada ◽  
Alan E. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Functional Implication ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Morphological Asymmetry ◽  
Developmental Factors ◽  
Verbal Content ◽  
The Right ◽  
Temporal Coherency

SUMMARY:Morphological speech zone asymmetry in man cannot be due to environmental or developmental factors after birth. The functional implication of such a finding is not yet clear. Morphological asymmetry of the human brain is paralleled by electrophysiological evidence of cerebral hemispheric asymmetries. The results of our analysis of 50 infants suggest that clear occipital-temporal coherency asymmetry similar, but not identical to the adult pattern, also exists at or near birth. These asymmetries are generated by stimuli with no verbal content and in infants who presumably have no or an undeveloped capability for language. It is suggested that language is only a part of much more fundamental asymmetries which include the processing of auditory and visual information. Our results, and those of others, are consistent with the assumption that the left hemisphere is more able to relate stimuli to past experience, either short or long-term, while the right hemisphere is more able to process stimuli which are not easily identifiable or referable. These capabilities would not be based on language, and hence would be expected to develop independently and possibly before speech. The demonstration that reversing electrophysiological asymmetries can be generated with non-speech stimuli in the visual and auditory modalities, and in neonates, supports such an assumption.

Outcome of no resection after long-term subdural electroencephalography evaluation in children with epilepsy

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elia M. Pestana Knight ◽  
Tobias Loddenkemper ◽  
Deepak Lachhwani ◽  
Prakash Kotagal ◽  
Elaine Wyllie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Epileptogenic Zone ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Resection Group ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
The Right ◽  
Permanent Neurological Deficit

Object The aim of this study was to identify the reasons for and predictors of no resection of the epileptogenic zone in children with epilepsy who had undergone long-term invasive subdural grid electroencephalography (SDG-EEG) evaluation. Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed the consecutive medical records of children (< 19 years of age) who had undergone SDG-EEG evaluation over a 7-year period (1997–2004). To determine the predictors of no resection, the authors obtained the clinical characteristics and imaging and EEG findings of children who had no resection after long-term invasive SDG-EEG evaluation and compared these data with those in a group of children who did undergo resection. They describe the indications for SDG-EEG evaluation and the reasons for no resection in these patients. Results Of 66 children who underwent SDG-EEG evaluation, 9 (13.6%) did not undergo subsequent resection (no-resection group; 6 males). Of these 9 patients, 6 (66.7%) had normal neurological examinations and 5 (55.6%) had normal findings on brain MR imaging. Scalp video EEG localized epilepsy to the left hemisphere in 6 of the 9 patients and to the right hemisphere in 2; it was nonlocalizable in 1 of the 9 patients. Indications for SDG-EEG in the no-resection group were ictal onset zone (IOZ) localization (9 of 9 patients), motor cortex localization (5 of 9 patients), and language area localization (4 of 9 patients). Reasons for no resection after SDG-EEG evaluation were the lack of a well-defined IOZ in 5 of 9 patients (4 multifocal IOZs and 1 nonlocalizable IOZ) and anticipated new permanent postoperative neurological deficits in 7 of 9 patients (3 motor, 2 language, and 2 motor and language deficits). Comparison with the resection group (57 patients) demonstrated that postictal Todd paralysis in the dominant hand was the only variable seen more commonly (χ2 = 4.781, p = 0.029) in the no-resection group (2 [22.2%] of 9 vs 2 [3.5%] of 57 patients). The no-resection group had a larger number of SDG electrode contacts (mean 126. 5 ± 26.98) as compared with the resection group (100.56 ± 25.52; p = 0.010). There were no significant differences in the demographic data, seizure characteristics, scalp and invasive EEG findings, and imaging variables between the resection and no-resection groups. Conclusions Children who did not undergo resection of the epileptogenic zone after SDG-EEG evaluation were likely to have normal neurological examinations without preexisting neurological deficits, a high probability of a new unacceptable permanent neurological deficit following resection, or multifocal or nonlocalizable IOZs. In comparison with the group that underwent resection after SDG-EEG, a history of Todd paralysis in the dominant hand and arm was the only predictor of no resection following SDG-EEG evaluation. Data in this study will help to better select pediatric patients for SDG-EEG and to counsel families prior to epilepsy surgery.

Case history: Use of the Nintendo Wii to increase fine motor dexterity post cerebral vascular accident

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Drexler, MS, LRT/CTRS
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Recreation ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Cerebral Vascular Accident ◽  
Nintendo Wii ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
Motor Dexterity ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Brain

Use of the low cost commercially available gaming console (Nintendo Wii) is a current trend in the rehabilitation environment. Released in 2006 by Nintendo, Veterans Affairs Medical Centers across the country are just setting one, Wii is being used as a physical, social, and cognitive tool. This case report seeks to provide evidence of its use as a rehabilitation tool for individuals who have experienced a recent stroke. By using whole body movements, the Wii sports games help in both gross motor and fine motor skills as well as in hand–eye coordination. This case study involves an older adult who is recovering from a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) and how using the Wii bowling game assisted to increase his fine motor strength and dexterity. CVA or stroke also called a “brain attack” can affect various parts of the brain. There are various signs and symptoms of CVA and these vary in each individual. Some of the signs that an individual having CVA shows are: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body), sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding speech, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, sudden severe headache with no known cause. This case study involved an older adult who experienced a CVA involving hemorrhage in the right cerebellum as revealed in a CT scan. This CVA affected the right hand of this individual. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. This lets blood to spill into nearby brain tissue, which damages the cells. Some brain cells die because their normal blood supply is cut off. Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Author of this case article utilized the Salisbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center Recreational Therapy initial intake assessment and discovered per patient’s report that he had decreased strength and fine motor dexterity in the fingers of his right hand status post CVA. This patient reported that after his stroke, he was not able to hold a utensil in his right hand. This case study speaks the use of the Nintendo Wii in assisting patient to regain use of the fingers of the hand that was affected by the CVA. This article can provide information for other Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists as to the use of the Nintendo Wii™ as a treatment modality. This device can demonstrate outcomes of improving fine motor dexterity for those who are recovering from a CVA.

scholarly journals Asymmetry in the content of brain monoamines of BALB/c mice reared in social isolation conditions

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inessa Vladimirovna Karpova ◽  
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mikheyev ◽  
Yevgeniy Rudolfovich Bychkov ◽  
Andrey Andreyevich Lebedev ◽  
Petr Dmitriyevich Shabanov
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Elevated Level ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Brain Monoamines ◽  
Left Hippocampus ◽  
The Right ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain

The effects of long-term social isolation on the content and metabolism of dopamine and serotonin systems were studied in symmetrical brain structures of BALB/c male mice. With HPLC the contents of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum of both the right and the left hemispheres of the brain in mice reared in groups and social isolation. The isolated mice were characterized by reduced level of DA in the left striatum and elevated level of 5-HIAA and ratio 5-HIAA/5-HT in the right striatum. In the hippocampus of isolated mice, the activation of both DA-ergic and 5-HT-ergic systems was observed, that is the high level of DA and DOPAC in the left hippocampus and the elevated level of 5-HT in both hemispheres and of 5-HIAA in the right hippocampus were registered. On the other hand, the reduction of both DA-ergic and 5-HT-ergic systems activity was shown to be in the right hemisphere. The decreased concentration of DOPAC and ratio DOPAC/DA in the right cortex were observed as well. As to 5-HT-ergic system, the reduced level of 5-HT in the both cortex of the hemispheres as well as 5-HIAA in the right hemisphere of isolated mice was determined. The phenomenon of interhemispheric asymmetry was revealed in the hippocampus only, which was characterized by the increased DA-ergic activity in the left hippocampus but not in the striatum and the cortex.

scholarly journals Music and Stroke Rehabilitation: A Narrative Synthesis of the Music-Based Treatments used to Rehabilitate Disorders of Speech and Language following Left-Hemispheric Stroke

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Draper
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Narrative Synthesis ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Speech Prosody ◽  
Hemispheric Stroke ◽  
Melodic Intonation Therapy ◽  
The Right ◽  
Speech And Language Disorders

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. A stroke can damage areas of the brain associated with communication, resulting in speech and language disorders. Such disorders are frequently acquired impairments from left-hemispheric stroke. Music-based treatments have been implemented, and researched in practice, for the past thirty years; however, the number of published reports reviewing these treatments is limited. This paper uses the four elements of the narrative synthesis framework to investigate, scrutinise and synthesise music-based treatments used in the rehabilitation of patients with speech and language disorders. A systematic review revealed that fifteen studies meet the inclusion criteria set out. It was found that the music-based treatments utilised included: Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT), Modified Melodic Intonation Therapy (MMIT), adapted forms of MIT, the Singing Intonation, Prosody, breathing (German: Atmung), Rhythm and Improvisation (SIPARI) method and a variety of methods using singing and songs. From a synthesis of the data, three themes emerged which were key elements of the interventions; they were: (a) singing songs and vocal exercises, (b) stimulating the right hemisphere and (c) use of speech prosody. These themes are discussed and implications for newly-qualified practitioners are explored.

Tourette's Syndrome and Right Hemisphere Dysfunction

1993 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. K. Lanser ◽  
W. H. C. Van Santen ◽  
A. Jennekens-Schinkel ◽  
R. A. C. Roos
Keyword(s):  
British Journal ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Tourette's Syndrome ◽  
Tourette’S Syndrome ◽  
Neuropsychological Examination ◽  
Right Hemisphere Dysfunction ◽  
Perceptual Abilities ◽  
The Right

Poor performances of patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) on tests requiring visual-perceptual abilities had led previous authors to the suggestion of right hemisphere involvement. We have compared the results of neuropsychological examination of 16 children with TS, with those of 16 children with a lesion of the right hemisphere. No evidence was found of a dysfunction of the right hemisphere in TS.British Journal of Psychiatry (1993), 163, 116–118

Longitudinal evaluation of fine motor deficits in children with leukemia

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8559-8559
Author(s):  
M. J. Hockenberry ◽  
K. Krull ◽  
I. M. Moore ◽  
A. Pasvogel ◽  
M. Gregurich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Motor Speed ◽  
Visual Motor Integration ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Visual Motor

8559 Background: Fine motor assessments are important tools to use in screening children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that may provide decisive data that can reveal subtle changes in neurodevelopment over time. Methods: Fine motor and visual-motor skills were assessed longitudinally in a group of 83 children receiving treatment for ALL. Children in this study had the first fine motor assessment at an average of 8 weeks into treatment and had already received several doses of Vincristine. Fine motor and visual-motor skills assessments were repeated at years 1 and 2 into therapy. The mean age at time of first assessment was 7.2 years and 58% were female. Results: Fine motor speed deficits were evident at the first assessment, and for many, continued to be problematic at Years 1 and 2. In addition to fine motor speed deficits, a significant decline in visual motor integration skills was noted from the baseline level (p = 0.019). Visual motor integration skills observed at Years 1 and 2 were predicted by the baseline performance on the Purdue Pegboard test. Our results indicate that the factors underlying these declines in higher-level skills begin within six months of the onset of chemotherapy. Conclusions: Early reductions in fine motor speed, possibly due to Vincristine, steroids and/or acute Methotrexate toxicity, may lead to reduced visual motor integration and construction abilities. The reduced fine motor skills, which predict eventual declines in visual motor integration, may be part of the underlying process for reduced perceptual abilities and nonverbal intellect often reported in long-term follow-up studies. For children with ALL, motor and sensory-perceptual examinations during treatment may identify those most at risk for significant long-term effects interfering with integration of visual spatial construction. These basic processing skills are necessary elements to the development of higher-level cognitive abilities, including nonverbal intelligence and academic achievement, particularly in arithmetic and written language. Early identification of reduced processing skills can provide an opportunity to identify at risk patients and intervene prior to reduction in these higher-level skills. Supported by NIH/NICHD RO-1 Funding: Grant number HD 37816 No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Hemispheric function in disorganized type schizophrenia: performance on the Quality Extinction Test

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 402-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Spivak ◽  
D Elimelech ◽  
R Ocring ◽  
R Mester ◽  
M Kotler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Extinction Test ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Right Hemisphere Dysfunction ◽  
Interhemispheric Transmission ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
The Right ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Normal Controls

We assessed hemisphere function in right-handed male chronic, disorganized type schizophrenic patients (N = 60, age range 18–45 years) using the Quality Extinction Test (QET), in comparison to 20 right-handed male healthy controls in the same age range. The QET analysis discriminated between the disorganized schizophrenic patients and the controls. QET results indicated that chronic schizophrenic patients were less sensitive to tactile stimuli in both hands as compared to controls. Furthermore, the sensitivity to tactile stimuli of the left hand was less than that of the right hand in the schizophrenic patients. In contrast, in the normal controls the sensitivity was similar in both hands. These results indicate possible right hemisphere dysfunction together with disturbance in interhemispheric transmission through the corpus callosum in chronic, disorganized type schizophrenic patients.

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