Cerebral laterality and category-specificity in cases of semantic memory impairment with PET-findings and associated with identification amnesia for familiar persons

Author(s): Matsui, A., Yoshida, S., Nakanishi, M., Fujita, K., Banno, T., Murai, T., Takizawa, T., Hadano, K.

Journal/Book: Brain Cognition. 1996; 30: 525B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495. Academic Press Inc Jnl-Comp Subscriptions. 368-372.

Abstract: Three cases with impaired semantic memory due to predominantly unilateral damage to the temporal lobe (two with semantic dementia and one with cerebral contusion) were reported. An investigation of category-specificity revealed a marked impairment for animals, vegetables, and/or fruits in two cases; one case with mainly left damage, however, exhibited a concomitant impairment in two subcategories of ''inanimate'' objects (musical instruments, tools for carpentering), while two subcategories (colors and body parts) were preserved in another case with predominantly right damage. The case with predominantly right damage presented initially with marked impairment of knowledge for familiar persons (faces, voices, names) which was absent in other two cases with predominantly left damage. The necessity of more detailed analysis of category-specificity, taking cerebral laterality also into consideration, was emphasized.

Note: Article T Hamanaka, Nagoya City Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, Mizuho Ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467, Japan

Keyword(s): APHASIA; ATROPHY

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