Evolution of Broca's aphasia with real word recurrent utterance

Abstract

     A case of Broca aphasia with real word recurrent utterance was reported. A 52-year-old right-handed woman sustained left putaminal hemorrhage and left parietal infarction. At the onset, she remained completely mute. At the 16th day post onset, she began to pronounce Osaete (hold it), but could not speak any other words or phrases. At one month post onset, detailed neuropsychological examination was administered, and she was diagnosed as having Broca aphasia. The recurrent utterance Osaete was pronounced fluently, while all the other words was pronounced highly non-fluently. This characteristic combination of fluency and non-fluency lasted for three and a half months. Then the recurrent utterance disappeared exactly according to the four-stage regression theory of verbal stereotype proposed by Alajouanine (1956) : (l) A stage of differentiated organization of the stereotyped verbal emissions. (2) A stage of checking the involuntary utterance. (3) A stage of fluctuating utterance. (4) A stage in which the stereotype is definitely checked and no longer occurs even occasionally. Since report of real word recurrent utterance is very few, we described the case, and discussed its aphasia type and fluency.