Work

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease with Mixed Transcortical Aphasia: Insights into Echolalia

Year: 1994

Type: article

Abstract: Aphasia is a common manifestation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and investigation of the linguistic disorders of CJD patients may provide insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of language and aphasia. We report an autopsy-confirmed case of CJD in which the presenting symptom was change in language abilities. The patient ultimately evidenced mixed transcortical aphasia (MTA) with echolalia. Disruption of frontal-subcortical circuits with environmental dependency accounts for the symptoms in MTA, including intact repetition and echolalia. Observation in this patient and a review of the literature suggest that frontal-subcortical circuit dysfunction may contribute to the syndrome of echolalia. This hypothesis offers an alternative explanation to "isolation" of the speech area as the cause of MTA.

Source: Behavioural Neurology

DOI: 10.1155/1994/601201

Authors: S. E. McPherson, J. D. Kuratani, J. L. Cummings, J. Shih, P. S. Mischel, H. V. Vinters

Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles, VA West Los Angeles Medical Center, University of New Mexico

Language: English

Topic: Prion Diseases and Protein Misfolding

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,790