Abstract
Five cases of alexia with agraphia were reported.
Analysis of symptoms showed that the syndrome can be independent of aphasic disturbance on the one hand and of alexia without agraphia on the other. Alexia in the syndrome is characterized by (1) preserved visual capacity of graphem perception, (2) tendency to read by impression witout analytical correction and (3) lack of kinesthetic facilitation. Agrahia is characterized by (1) preserved graphem output capacity. This is reflected by their attitude of letter copying. They would write down model letters according to their own penmanship even when they could not read the model letters. They never copied the models like non-meaningful letters as in the case of alexia without agraphia. It is also characterized by (2) presence of paragraphia. and (3) hesitancy and lack of confidence in spontaneous writing.
Thus it seems that visual system, motor system of writing and auditory linguistic system are all preserved. What is at fault is an integrative process of these three functions.
Lesions detected by CT scan all converged into an area of temporo-parieto-occipital junction of the left hemisphere. All were situated in the deep white matter. They cannot be attributed to a certain gyral area. i. e. angular gyrus.
