2000 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 157-164
The ability to comprehend concrete words was assessed in a case who probably had been suffering from Pick's disease with an MRI proven prominent atrophy of the left temporal lobe. When he was admitted for evaluation two months after the first sign of his abnormal language behavior, he showed a typical picture of Gogi (word meaning) aphasia.
At the first evaluation, the patient showed a difficulty in understanding the meaning of a heard word. He was unable to complete a word when only the first few syllables were given. However he could repeat a sentence quite well and distinguish a real word from an unreal one easily. He was also able to point to a drawing corresponding to a heard word with about 60% accuracy. His ability to categorize drawings was normal.
A year later, he still was able to distinguish a real word from unreal one although the response became slower. He could categorize drawings correctly just like the first evaluation. On the contrary his ability to point to a drawing corresponding to a heard word showed considerable deterioration with only 30% accuracy.
We interpret that his preserved ability to distinguish between real and unreal words and categorize drawings reflect preservation of “phonological lexicons” and “non-linguistic” meaning throughout this observation period. Lack of spontaneous comprehension of heard words with relative preservation of pointing ability of drawings corresponding to heard words at the first evaluation suggest the preservation of connection between “non-linguistic” meaning and “phonological lexicons” although their “dictionary” or “linguistic” meaning was gone. Deterioration of this pointing ability a year after suggest the additional difficulty in connecting “non-linguistic” meaning with “phonological lexicons” . This dissociated affection of the “phonological lexicons” , “linguistic meaning” , and “non-linguistic meaning” over the course of the disease suggests a word is probably composed of these three relatively separable subsystems. Thus we suppose the progressively deteriorated processes of Gogi aphasia in the present patient as follows : first, the disruption of “linguistic” meaning, second, the disorder in association between “phonological lexicons” and “non-linguistic” meaning.
