Original scientific paper

SPEECH PERCEPTION AFTER RIGHT HEMlSPHERECTOMY

Dana Boatman ; Department of Neurology and Otolaringologv Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Baltimore Marvland U.S .A.

Abstract

We prospectively studied the speech perception ahilities of two righthanded girls, ages 9 and 10 years, who undenvenl right hemispherectomy for treatment of Rasmussen's Syndrome, a progressive injlammatorv disorder associcited \vith intractahle, unilateral seizures. Both patien/s developed normally until # yecirs of age, when they hegan having seizures. Hefore surgery, their word recognition and svllahle discrimination ahilities, in cpiiet and nnder adverse lisiening conditions (filtered speech, hackground noise) vi cre within normal li mi ts for their age. Six months cifter surgery. hoth patients continued to show excellent speech perception ahilities in quiet. Under adverse lisiening conditions, however, their word recognition ahilities were severely impaired. These results suggest that although the lef't (dominant) hcmisphere can independently support speech perception under good lisiening conditions. the right hemisphere, alone or together with the left hcmisphere, appear to play a critical rale in processing speech under adverse listening conditions.

Keywords

hemispherectomy; speech perception. Rasmussen's svndrome

Hrčak ID:

174176

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/174176

Publication date:

1.9.2000.

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