Abstract
We reported a case of facilitating oral naming by “written naming” (output using writing only) in a 58-year-old, right-handed male. CT scan revealed an extensive infarction lesion in the left temporoparietal region. Neurological examination found mild hemiparesis, mild sensory disturbance and sensory aphasia. The patient's spontaneous speech and verbal fluency were preserved with some paraphasias. His auditory comprehension was extremely poor. Object naming, repetition, oral reading and writing were also severely impaired. Reading of words was spared. Four months after the onset, his naming ability remained poor, but written naming was often observed rather than oral naming. As he increased using this writing-to-sound processing, his naming ability improved. Thus written naming facilitated his oral naming at the same time. This result suggests that written naming may be realized without phonological processing, so that even if the phonological route is impaired, the nonphonological route may be used for correct oral naming.
