["Left unilateral agraphia with right hemiparesis" after occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery]

Abstract

This paper presented a case of a right-handed male who showed a right hemiplegia without aphasia and apraxia. He lost the ability to write with the left hand. A 56-year-old right-handed man, who had a daughter of left-handedness, was sent to our hospital with a homonymous hemianopsia, facial weakness, spastic hemiparesis and sensory disturbance in the right side. CT scan revealed an infarction in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery. On a month after the onset, he was alert and oriented. His speech was normal and verbal comprehension was intact. Although he neglected the right side of the page, he could read and comprehend it correctly. In contrast with his normal abilities to speak, comprehend, and read, difficulties in writing were prominent. Spontaneous writing with the left hand was extremely poor, and he even had difficulty writing his own name. His dictation was also poor, but his writing improved with copying letters. Agraphia had seen even after USN was recovered. Analysis of this case suggested the presence of the dominance for speech, comprehension, and praxis in the intact right hemisphere, and writing center in the damaged left hemisphere.