Non-paralytic motor disturbances and speech disorders: the role of the supplementary motor area.
A right-handed patient with a lesion demonstrated by CT to involve the right medial frontal cortex is described. He exhibited a strong contralateral grasp reflex, motor perseveration and the presence of purposeful movements that appeared to be dissociated from conscious volition. In addition, there was a disorder of speech consisting of a lack of spontaneous speech production, with preserved ability to imitate. It is suggested that these disorders are due to damage to the supplementary motor area.
D000368:Aged; D001039:Aphasia, Broca / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*