Abstract
Using CT, the brain lesion sites of 8 patients with Broca's aphasia were investigated. Also studied was their comprehension capability. All patients were right-handed and non-fluent aphasics as a result of a left hemisphere cerebrovascular accident. Cases that showed CT evidence of diffuse or multiple lesions, and/or putaminal hemorrhage were exclued from this study.
The patients were clasified into two groups according to the CT findings. Group 1 consisted of patients with small lesions in the pars opercularis whereas Group 2 patients had larger lesions extending throughout the Broca's area. Comprehension deficits were evaluated by using the standard language test for aphasia (SLTA). Auditory comprehension of single words was found to be normal in the Group 1 patients, but those in Group 2 showed mild deficits.
It is suggested that auditory comprehension of single words remains normal in patients with Broca's aphasia if the pars triangularis is spared.
