Article

The study evaluates the possible relations between cognitive impairment,
persisting anosognosia for hemiplegia and peripersonal neglect. Thirty eight
chronic right hemisphere stroke patients were divided in three age- and
education-matched groups:
A (n = 13) patients with left hemiparesis, peripersonal
neglect, and anosognosia for hemiplegia; B (n = 12) patients with left
hemiparesis and peripersonal neglect, and C (n = 13) patients with left
hemiparesis only. We used MMSE and WAIS Verbal IQ and verbal subtests to assess
cognitive impairment in patients, in order to avoid a bias due to visuospatial
deficit, which is common in patients with neglect. VIQ, Information, Digit Span
and Vocabulary WAIS subtests as well as MMSE were found to be significantly lower
in group A versus group B. No difference was found in any test between groups B
and C, indicating a general worse cognition in patients compared to those without
anosognosia for hemiplegia. Patients with anosognosia for hemiplegia also showed
larger brain lesions and, more frequently, frontal, parietal, temporal and basal
ganglia involvement, particularly if they had low verbal IQ, indicating a
relationship between cognitive impairment, persisting anosognosia for hemiplegia
and large right hemisphere lesions.

Langue : ANGLAIS