Relative preservation of 'animate' knowledge in an atypical presentation of herpes simplex virus encephalitis.
A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests designed to assess primary cognitive functions, including language and semantic memory, was given to MG, a patient with confirmed herpes simplex virus encephalitis. MG's initial jargon aphasia resolved over time to leave her with a mild phonological impairment. She had a very mild amnesia that was worse for verbal material and a category-specific impairment of semantic memory. This latter impairment resulted in a significant anomia that was worse for manmade/artefact items than for animate kinds. Her naming difficulties were associated with a mild impairment in comprehension that was not specific to category or feature type. MRI revealed a strongly asymmetric and atypical distribution of pathology in MG with the disease affecting the left medial temporal lobe, temporal pole, left frontotemporal and temporoparietal regions.
Lowe
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Department of Psychology, University of Manchester, UK. MBRXSZCL@FS1.FSE.MAN.AC.UK
Knapp
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Lambon Ralph
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MA
D000647:Amnesia / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D032882:Comprehension; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data