title: Word deafness as a cortical auditory processing deficit: a case report with MEG.
abstract: Pure word deafness is a rare disorder dramatically impairing comprehension of spoken language, while auditory functions remain relatively intact. We present a 71-year-old woman with a slowly progressive disturbance of speech perception due to pure word deafness. MRI revealed degeneration of the temporal lobes. A magnetoencephalographic investigation using alternating single tone stimulation showed that N100 was followed by a second transient response and was abnormally prolonged up to 600-700 ms. We conclude that auditory processing is disturbed at long latency ranges following the N100, which may result in the clinical presentation of pure word deafness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany. joergesi@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jörgens
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Biermann-Ruben
authors.forename: Martin W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flügel
authors.forename: Kathinka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daehli Kurz
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antke
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Rudiger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schnitzler