Brain areas impaired in oral and verbal apraxic patients.

Background: As both oral and verbal apraxia are related to vocal orofacial musculature, this study aimed at identifying brain regions impaired in cases with oral and verbal apraxia.

Methods: In this non-experimental study, 46 left brain damaged subjects (17 females) aged 23-84 years, were examined by oral and verbal apraxia tasks. Impaired and spared Broca's area, insula, and middle frontal gyrus in the left hemisphere were checked from magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans utilizing Talairach Atlas. Data were analyzed using chi-square test.

Results: Insula was significantly impaired in both forms of oral and verbal apraxia and different severities and prominent forms of both apraxias (P < 0.05). Broca's area was slightly less involved than insula in two forms of apraxia.

Conclusion: As the damage of insula was more prominent in both forms of apraxias, it seems that oral and verbal apraxia may have commonalities regarding their underlying brain lesions.