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ARTICLES: A. Flöel, S. Knecht, H. Lohmann, M. Deppe, J. Sommer, B. Dräger, E.-B. Ringelstein, and H. Henningsen Language and spatial attention can lateralize to the same hemisphere in healthy humans Neurology 2001; 57: 1018-1024 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Reply to Dr. Stefanis' letter

Agnes Floel, Stefan Knecht   (6 November 2001)

Language and spatial attention can lateralize to the same hemisphere in healthy humans

Leonidas Stefanis   (6 November 2001)

Reply to Dr. Stefanis' letter 6 November 2001
Agnes Floel University of Munster Munster Germany, Stefan Knecht Send Correspondence to journal: Re: Reply to Dr. Stefanis' letter floeel{at}uni-muenster.de Agnes Floel, et al.	We thank Dr. Stefanis for his valuable comments. His findings corroborate previous reports about patients with aphasia and hemineglect after unihemispheric lesions by demonstrating co-localization for language and visuospatial memory. [1, 2] It stresses also the importance for the clinician to be aware of disturbances in visuospatial processing in-patients with aphasia. Deficits in attentional functions might aggravate the existing speech problems, and should be specifically addressed during therapy. References: 1. Alexander MP, Fiscette MR, Fischer RS. Crossed aphasia can be mirror image of anomalous. Brain 1989;112:953-973. 2. Osmon DC, Panos J, Kautz P, Gandhavadi B. Crossed aphasia in a dextral: a test of the Alexander-Annett theory of anomalous organization of brain function. Brain Lang 1998; 63:426-438. --
Language and spatial attention can lateralize to the same hemisphere in healthy humans 6 November 2001
Leonidas Stefanis Columbia University New York Send Correspondence to journal: Re: Language and spatial attention can lateralize to the same hemisphere in healthy humans ls76{at}columbia.edu Leonidas Stefanis	I read with great interest the article by Floel et al. describing lateralization for spatial attention and language to the right hemisphere in the subgroup of healthy subjects. [1] As the authors discuss, this finding implies, that, at least in certain individuals, laterization of distinct cerebral functions may occur independently during cerebral development. Apart from spatial attention, other cognitive modalities are also traditionally associated with the right hemisphere. One of these is visuospatial memory. [2] Previously, we reported the case of a right- handed individual, who following a cerebral infarction affecting the gray matter of the right superior temporal gyrus, manifested a conduction aphasia associated with profound visuospatial memory impairment. [3] The aphasia subtype and localization of the lesion would classify this case as a “mirror” crossed aphasia, in which language dominance is presumably switched to the right hemisphere. [4] The association in our case between the aphasic disturbance and modality-specific memory deficit imply that both language and visuospatial memory localized to the right hemisphere. Therefore, we agree with the authors that, at least in certain individuals, cerebral functions may laterize and independently of each other. References: 1. Floel A, Knecht S, Lohmann H, et al. Language and spatial attention can lateralize to the same hemisphere in healthy humans. Neurology 2001;57:1018-1024. 2. Milner B. Visual recognition after right temporal lobe excision in man. Neuropsychologia 1968;6:191-209. 3. Stefanis L, Desmond DW, Tatemichi TK. Crossed conduction aphasia associated with impairment of visuospatial memory. Neurocase 1997;3:201- 207. 4. Alexander MP, Fiscette MR, Fischer RS. Crossed aphasias can be mirror image or anomalous. Brain 1989;112:953-973.