Semantic memory deficit with a left thalamic infarct.
Previous studies of patients with thalamic lesions have reported consistent word finding difficulties without a proposed etiology. The authors describe a patient with a focal left thalamic infarct, pronounced word finding problems, and a relatively selective impairment in semantic memory for object recall from features. The thalamus is proposed to facilitate electrical activity between brain regions that encode object features, resulting in object recall. Thalamic dysfunction disrupting object recall is a plausible etiology for impaired word finding in some patients.
Segal
Jessica B
JB
Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Williams
Roger
R
Kraut
Michael A
MA
Hart
John
J
D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007600:Judgment; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000208:ethnology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014481:United States