Gait apraxia after bilateral supplementary motor area lesion.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed at addressing the issue of the precise nature of gait apraxia and the cerebral dysfunction responsible for it.


METHODS
The case of a patient, affected by a bilateral infarction limited to a portion of the anterior cerebral artery territory is reported. The patient's ability to walk was formally assessed by means of a new standardised test.


RESULTS
Due to an anomaly within the anterior cerebral artery system, the patient's lesion was centred on the supplementary motor regions of both hemispheres. He presented with clear signs of gait apraxia that could not be accounted for by paresis or other neurological deficits. No signs of any other form of apraxia were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical profile of the patient and the analysis of 49 cases from previous literature suggest that gait apraxia should be considered a clinical entity in its own right and lesions to the supplementary motor areas are responsible for it.
Della Sala
S
S
Neuropsychology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK. sergio@abdn.ac.uk
Francescani
A
A
Spinnler
H
H
D001072:Apraxias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020235:Gait Apraxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D020243:Infarction, Anterior Cerebral Artery / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests