2. Introduction
The inability and the loss of the ability to write
and spell (when writing), is referred to as
agraphia, i.e., an inability to form graphemes.
Agraphia is an acquired neurological disorder
causing a loss in the ability to communicate
through writing, either due to some form of
motor dysfunction or an inability to spell.
The loss of writing ability may be present with
other language or neurological disorders.
http://brainmind.com/Agraphia.html
3. What does it look like?
Neurology, January 29, 2008, vol. 70, no. 5, pp. 391-400 Neurology, August 28, 2007, vol. 69, no. 9,
pp. 926-929
4. Parts of the nervous system
involved
Agraphia can be broadly divided into:
Central agraphias
− typically involve language areas of the brain, causing
difficulty spelling or with spontaneous communication, and
are often accompanied by other language disorders.
− may also be called aphasic agraphia.
Peripheral agraphias
− usually target motor and visuospatial skills in addition to
language and tend to involve motor areas of the brain,
causing difficulty in the movements associated with writing.
− may also be called nonaphasic agraphia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agraphia
5. Parts of the brain associated with
handwriting
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray726.svg
6. Impairments to nervous system
Phonological agraphia is linked to damage in areas of the
brain involved in phonological processing skills (sounding
out words), specifically the language areas around the
sylvian fissure, such as Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and
the supramarginal gyrus.
Lexical agraphia is associated with damage to the left
angular gyrus and/or posterior temporal cortex.
Deep agraphia involves damage to the perisylvian
language areas in adition to the areas in lexical agraphia.
More extensive left hemisphere damage can lead to global
agraphia.
7. Impairments to nervous system
Gerstmann's syndrome is caused by a lesion of the dominant
(usually the left) parietal lobe, usually an angular gyrus lesion.
Apraxic agraphia with ideomotor apraxia is typically caused by
damage to the superior parietal lobe (where graphomotor plans
are stored) or the premotor cortex (where the plans are
converted into motor commands). Additionally, some individuals
with cerebellar lesions develop apraxic agraphia. Apraxic
agraphia without ideomotor apraxia may be caused by damage
to either of the parietal lobes, the dominant frontal lobe, or to
the dominant thalamus.
Visuospatial agraphia typically has a right hemisphere
pathology. Damage to the posterior part of the right hemisphere
leads predominantly to spatial defects in writing.
8. Management
Agraphia cannot be directly treated, but individuals can be
rehabilitated to regain some of their previous writing abilities.
For phonological agraphia, individuals are trained to memorize
key words, such as a familiar name or object, that can then help
them form the grapheme for that phoneme.
Management of allographic agraphia involves having alphabet
cards so the individual can write legibly by copying the correct
letter shapes.
There are few rehabilitation methods for apraxic agraphia; if the
individual has better hand control and movement with typing
than with handwriting, technological devices can be used. If
copying skills are preserved, repeated copying may help shift
from the highly intentional and monitored hand movements to a
more automated control.
9. How this course has allowed to better
analyze events and phenomena
Learn the formation of the brain and nervous
system in humans
Understand the functioning of the nervous
system
Identify impairments that lead to nervous
disorders
Above all, realize how beautifully the human
brain has been designed
10. How this course has allowed to better
analyze events and phenomena
Learn the formation of the brain and nervous
system in humans
Understand the functioning of the nervous
system
Identify impairments that lead to nervous
disorders
Above all, realize how beautifully the human
brain has been designed
