Effect of lateralized epileptic discharges on the thought flow
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
;
59(2B): 318-323, Jun. 2001. ilus, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-286409
RESUMO
PURPOSE:
Pauses in verbal expression of thought flow in patients with partial epilepsy was studied in order to achieve a best comprehension of brain interhemispheric influences.METHOD:
We studied thirty nine patients with partial epileptic seizures and twenty four volunteers (control group). Free association of ideas was used as a method to stablish the thought flow, starting with a stimulus word (subject name) that must be followed by spontaneous and consecutive word-phrase. Patients were instructed to say any thought that came to their minds without any kind of censoring. Subject responses were recorded through a PC keyboard and time intervals (pauses) between each word-phrase were processed by a software developed for this purpose.RESULTS:
Time intervals reduction among associations in right lesional group were compared to left lesional, right non-lesional and control groups. An increase of associative time intervals was observed in the right non-lesional group compared to left non-lesional group.CONCLUSIONS:
We suggest a possible inhibitory inter-hemispheric function of the right hemisphere modulating verbal expression of the thought flow. Considering the hypothesis of the inter-hemispheric inhibition by the right hemisphere on left hemisphere, we admit that in epileptic patients with right hemispheric lesion there is an attenuation of the inter-hemispheric inhibition and an increase in thought flow, whereas in patients without a lesion but a paroxysmal epileptic activity in right temporal lobe there is an exacerbation of this inhibitory function and consequent reduction in the thought flow
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Thinking
/
Verbal Behavior
/
Epilepsies, Partial
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
Journal subject:
Neurology
/
Psychiatry
Year:
2001
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Federal University of Säo Paulo/BR
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