Recovering two languages with the right hemisphere.
Converging evidence suggests that the right hemisphere (RH) plays an important role in language recovery from aphasia after a left hemisphere (LH) lesion. In this longitudinal study we describe the neurological, cognitive, and linguistic profile of A.C., a bilingual who, after a severe traumatic brain injury, developed a form of fluent aphasia that affected his two languages (i.e., Romanian and Italian). The trauma-induced parenchymal atrophy led to an exceptional ventricular dilation that, gradually, affected the whole left hemisphere. A.C. is now recovering both languages relying only on his right hemisphere. An fMRI experiment employing a bilingual covert verb generation task documented the involvement of the right middle temporal gyrus in processes of lexical selection and access. This case supports the hypothesis that the RH plays a role in language recovery from aphasia when the LH has suffered massive lesions.
Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature, Comunicazione, Formazione e Società, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy; Claudiana - Landesfachhochschule für Gesundheitsberufe, Bolzano, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.marini@uniud.it.
Andrea
A
Marini
Centro Puzzle, Torino, Italy; Center for Cognitive Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy.
Valentina
V
Galetto
Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Torino, Italy; Koelliker Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Karina
K
Tatu
Koelliker Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Sergio
S
Duca
Center for Cognitive Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy; Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Torino, Italy; Koelliker Hospital, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Italy.
Giuliano
G
Geminiani
Center for Cognitive Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy; Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Torino, Italy; Koelliker Hospital, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Italy.
Katiuscia
K
Sacco
Centro Puzzle, Torino, Italy; Center for Cognitive Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy; Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Torino, Italy. Electronic address: marina.zettin@unito.it.
Marina
M
Zettin
D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000150:complications; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008037:Linguistics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D000072356:Parenchymal Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012383:Romania; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
Aphasia recovery; Bilingualism; Right hemisphere; Traumatic brain injury; Ventricular dilation