Higher Brain Function Research
Online ISSN : 1880-6554
Print ISSN : 1348-4818
ISSN-L : 1348-4818
Volume 29, Issue 4
Displaying 1-6 of 6 articles from this issue
Original article
  • Taketo Youine, Jun Tanemura
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 386-398
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    We analyzed the structure of Raven's Progressive Matrices by cluster analysis and developed scales by Guttman's scalogram analysis. The subjects consisted of 101 people : 82 normal subjects,18 sufferers of traumatic brain damage, and 1 case of hypoxic encephalopathy. Set AB of Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices, Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices were used and reasoning measurement was devised for graded reasoning ability. From the results, we extracted three structures which were interpreted as detection of simple dimensional regularities based on visuospatial analysis, detection of two-dimensional regularity based on visuospatial analysis, and the reasoning that added conversion to the two-dimensional regularities based on visuospatial analysis. Further we devised 8-unit scale from Guttman scalogram analysis (Rep >.90). The scales correlated with neuropsychological assessments (intelligence, memory and attention tests). We concluded that the three structures and 8-unit scale were useful for evaluating graded reasoning.
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  • Masaru Oga, Maki Suda, Takashi Sakai
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 399-407
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Recently Mariën et al. (2004) advocated that adult vascular crossed aphasia in dextrals (CAD) has some conspicuous characteristics different from those of ordinary aphasia. In this study we analyzed their various characteristics—disease, age, gender, type of aphasia, anatomical correlation (mirror image vs. anomalous), severity, oral vs. written language dissociation, language recovery, nonverbal cognitive disorder—in our six cases of adult vascular CAD according to their criteria : (1) right-handedness, (2) lesions strictly confined to the right hemisphere, (3) absence of early brain damage, (4) absence of familial left-handedness, and, (5) evidence of aphasia. The results revealed that the characteristics in our six cases are consistent with those of Mariën et al. with respect to : (1) Non-frequent aphasia is not very prevalent ; (2) The correlation between clinical type and age as reported in ordinary aphasia is not apparent ; (3) Good language recovery is not always assured ; (4) Left unilateral hemiagnosia is most prevalent in nonverbal cognitive disorders. Our findings were inconsistent with theirs, however, with respect to ; (5) Males are not predominant over females in frequency ; (6) Oral apraxia is not so frequently encountered. Further study of adult vascular CAD cases should be promoted to clarify the appropriateness of Mariën et al.'s advocacy, including their analytical methods.
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  • Nouzou Thukamoto
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 408-414
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    A movement release phenomenon appeared after recurrence of cerebral infarction in the premotor area of the left frontal lobe in a 68-year-old, right-handed male. The movement was a guiding gesture for drivers and pedestrians he had performed in his work as a security guard. The course of the phenomenon was divided into 4 stages based on the appearance of this motion starting from the onset. In Stage 1, the motion actively appeared toward those walking in the hospital corridor and drivers backing their cars as seen out of the hospital window. In Stage 2, the motion appeared when performing tasks such as naming, repeating and pointing. In Stage 3, the motion appeared only during conversations, and in Stage 4 it was gradually resolved. The following conditions may have been involved in the appearance of the guiding gesture in this patient : (1) presence of a severe communication disorder, severe aphasia, in which language communication measures cannot be used ; (2) establishment of the guiding motion as a communication measure in his work ; (3) influence of the impaired frontal lobe function leading to the release phenomenon ; (4) relationship with a speech therapist, i. e., influence of mental aspects arising from interpersonal relationships, such as excitation due to being evaluated, and (5) influence of the patient's character.
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  • Yasuhiro Miyazaki, Jun Tanemura
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 415-425
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This study examined an effective rehabilitation technique for unilateral spatial neglect. We undertook three experiments involving the rhythmically auditory stimulation with a metronome. The experiments dealt with (1) effect of auditory stimulus from the neglected side, (2) difference by stimulation side, and (3) difference in effect by type of rhythmic auditory stimulus. The results were as follows. (1) Stimulation improved performances, without regard to the severity of the subjects. However, one subject did not show any effect. (2) Stimulation on both the neglected side and the other side had effect. However, stimulation from the non-neglected side also had effect particular to that side. Stimulation from the neglected side was more effective than from the other side. (3) Stimulation with various rhythms had different effects. Based on the above results, rhythmic auditory stimulation with a metronome is an effective rehabilitation technique for unilateral spatial neglect.
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  • —Analysis of Mini Mental State Examination scores—
    Kiyoko Iiboshi, Yukiko Inamasu, Tomoyo Odo, Shinichiro Kasai, Kazuyosh ...
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 426-433
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
      Sixty-three patients with dementia were introduced to group comprehensive cognitive therapy. Twenty-six cases involved was vascular dementia, fifteen dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT), ten dementia with Lewy-body (Lewy), and twelve other types of dementia. Their average Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was 22.7 ± 4.0. The therapy program consisted of language, spatiality, construction, mathematics, attention, memory, and execution. The therapy was carried out weekly, the required time was about one hour, and fifteen people attended per group.
      We analyzed the effects of this therapy by MMSE scores and MMSE sub-item scores. After four months, the MMSE scores of the DAT group, Lewy group and middle stage of dementia group (MMSE score : 21∼23) were significantly improved (p <0.05). Among MMSE sub-items, orientation and language scores were significantly improved (p <0.05).
      These results exceeded those in several clinical reports on the effects of donepezil hydrochloride in dementia cases at a similar stage to that of this study. The findings suggest benefits from use of donepezil hydrochloride together with comprehensive cognitive therapy for dementia sufferers.
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  • Tomohito Houjou, Michitaka Funayama, Yoshitaka Nakagawa, Yoko Sano, Ma ...
    2009 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 434-444
    Published: December 31, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: January 05, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Difficulty in judging distance is a rare manifestation of brain injury. We report two cases with difficulty in judging distance following brain injury : one case with right parieto-occipital hemorrhage, the other with bilateral parieto-occipital infarction. Both patients showed visual disorientation as described by Holmes. Difficulty in judging distance in our patients was one symptom of visual disorientation. While the basis for difficulty in judging distance in the previous reports lay mainly in subjective complaint, to detect impediment to distance judging objectively we studied ability of judging distance of the first case employing an apparatus (Kowa AS-7JS1) used for acquiring or renewing an oversized vehicle driver's license or Category II driver's license. The performance of the patient was significantly worse than both the normal control and the neglect group. Given the overlapping lesions of our two cases and the cases in the previous reports, the neural basis for judging distance is considered to be the posterior part of the parieto-occipital lobe ; the superior parietal lobule, the posterior part of the inferior parietal lobule, and the cuneus, mainly in the right hemisphere.
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