Purpose: This study examined right hemisphere (RH) neuroanatomical correlates of lexical-semantic deficits that predict narrative comprehension in adults with RH brain damage. Coarse semantic coding and suppression deficits were related to lesions by voxel-based lesion symptom mapping.

Method: Participants were 20 adults with RH cerebrovascular accidents. Measures of coarse coding and suppression deficits were computed from lexical decision reaction times at short (175 ms) and long (1000 ms) prime-target intervals. Lesions were drawn on magnetic resonance imaging images and through normalization were registered on an age-matched brain template. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping analysis was applied to build a general linear model at each voxel. Z score maps were generated for each deficit, and results were interpreted using automated anatomical labeling procedures.

Results: A deficit in coarse semantic activation was associated with lesions to the RH posterior middle temporal gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and lenticular nuclei. A maintenance deficit for coarsely coded representations involved the RH temporal pole and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex more medially. Ineffective suppression implicated lesions to the RH inferior frontal gyrus and subcortical regions, as hypothesized, along with the rostral temporal pole.

Conclusion: Beyond their scientific implications, these lesion-deficit correspondences may help inform the clinical diagnosis and enhance decisions about candidacy for deficit-focused treatment to improve narrative comprehension in individuals with RH damage.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4698474PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0149DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

voxel-based lesion
12
lesion symptom
12
coding suppression
12
suppression deficits
12
symptom mapping
8
coarse coding
8
narrative comprehension
8
coarse semantic
8
dorsolateral prefrontal
8
prefrontal cortex
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!