Reading and writing from right to left after anterior cerebral artery stroke.

This is the case report of a woman who started to write and read from right to left after anterior cerebral artery stroke, affecting the left supplementary motor area. No cases were found in the literature with exactly the same characteristics. She has been able to read and write faster after rehabilitation approach at Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, in the Belo Horizonte city unit, Brazil, despite the maintenance of the inversion. She returned to her previous activities in an adaptive way. It was discussed how the dysfunction in this cerebral area and its connections may disturb the reading strategy and direction.

Relato do caso de uma mulher que passou a escrever e ler da direita para a esquerda após um acidente vascular encefálico isquêmico de artéria cerebral anterior, acometendo área motora suplementar esquerda. Não foram encontrados casos na literatura exatamente com as mesmas características. Durante a participação da paciente no programa de reabilitação neurológica da Rede Sarah de Hospitais de Reabilitação, unidade Belo Horizonte, foram observados ganhos na agilidade de leitura e escrita, ainda que mantendo a inversão, e retorno às suas atividades de forma adaptada. Realizou-se discussão de como o comprometimento dessa área e de suas conexões pode perturbar a estratégia de leitura e sua direção.

Reading and writing from right to left after anterior cerebral artery stroke / Escrita e leitura da direita para a esquerda após lesão cerebral

ABSTRACT. This is the case report of a woman who started to write and read from right to left after anterior cerebral artery stroke, affecting the left supplementary motor area. No cases were found in the literature with exactly the same characteristics. She has been able to read and write faster after rehabilitation approach at Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, in the Belo Horizonte city unit, Brazil, despite the maintenance of the inversion. She returned to her previous activities in an adaptive way. It was discussed how the dysfunction in this cerebral area and its connections may disturb the reading strategy and direction.

RESUMO. Relato do caso de uma mulher que passou a escrever e ler da direita para a esquerda após um acidente vascular encefálico isquêmico de artéria cerebral anterior, acometendo área motora suplementar esquerda. Não foram encontrados casos na literatura exatamente com as mesmas características. Durante a participação da paciente no programa de reabilitação neurológica da Rede Sarah de Hospitais de Reabilitação, unidade Belo Horizonte, foram observados ganhos na agilidade de leitura e escrita, ainda que mantendo a inversão, e retorno às suas atividades de forma adaptada. Realizou-se discussão de como o comprometimento dessa área e de suas conexões pode perturbar a estratégia de leitura e sua direção.

Impulse control symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: The influence of dopaminergic agonist.

BACKGROUND: Impulse control disorders and punding are common in Parkinson's disease patients. Cross-sectional studies suggest an association between dopamine replacement therapy, especially dopaminergic agonists, and impulse control and related disorders in Parkinson's disease. However, some surveys suggest that Parkinson's disease itself does not confer an altered risk for impulse control disorders and related behavior, although these disturbances are more frequently reported in Parkinsonian patients than in healthy controls. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the frequency of impulse control disorders and punding symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients and healthy controls and to determine the influence of dopamine agonist treatment on the prevalence of these disturbances. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on 207 Parkinson's disease patients (79 taking dopamine agonists) and 230 healthy controls. The outcome measures were the presence of current impulse control disorders and punding symptoms, based on clinical criteria after application of the Minnesota Impulsive Disorders Interview for screening. RESULTS: The frequency of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease patients vs. Healthy controls was 16.9% vs. 15.2% (p = 0.631). Punding was more frequent in Parkinson's disease patients (p = 0.028); however, impulse control disorders were more frequent in medicated Parkinson's disease patients taking dopamine agonists than in medicated patients not taking dopamine agonists (p = 0.001) and healthy controls (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Parkinson's disease itself does not lead to the development of impulse control disorders. Dopaminergic agonist treatment may trigger the disorder in susceptible individuals. Punding may be more prevalent in Parkinson's disease patients.