Multitasking disorder from right temporoparietal stroke.
Acute behavioral syndromes after right hemisphere stroke (eg, hemi-inattention) resolve in most patients by 6 months. Less is known about the nature of chronic disorders after these lesions when the initial deficits are no longer apparent. We report the case of a woman who suffered a cerebral infarct in the right temporoparietal region and who, after the resolution of neglect, demonstrated a significant disorder of multitasking in her everyday life. Neuropsychologic tests failed to reveal the extent of disruption in her daily functioning. A journal of daily activities elucidates the nature of her deficits and demonstrates, from the patient's perspective, the impact of the lesion on her ability to multitask. Our findings are consistent with the concept of a right frontoparietal attentional axis that governs the ability to hold several tasks in working memory at the same time. We conclude that right hemisphere lesions can disrupt the cognitive system of multitasking through disruption of the attentional matrix.
Lazar
Ronald M
RM
Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. ral22@columbia.edu
Festa
Joanne R
JR
Geller
Allison E
AE
Romano
Gina Marie
GM
Marshall
Randolph S
RS
D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*