Aphasia and Anosognosia

This chapter reviews normal language function and then discusses language impairments: fluent and nonfluent aphasias, and their major divisions. It also discusses related topics, including alexia without agraphia and the split-brain syndrome. It correlates these disorders with their underlying neuroanatomy and, for some of them, predictable physical deficits. The chapter describes bedside tests that demonstrate these disorders and provides examples of patients with each condition. Then the text reviews neuropsychologic syndromes attributable to nondominant hemisphere lesions - dressing apraxia, constructional apraxia, alien hand syndrome, hemi-inattention, and anosognosia. It describes the dangers to patients who develop one of these disorders, and how they may react.