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A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

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permanent loss <strong>of</strong> particular skills. Naeser and Hayward (1978) report that small<br />

lesions appeared to correlate with mild aphasia types. Kertesz, Harlock and<br />

Coates (1979) reported that larger lesions produce more last<strong>in</strong>g language<br />

impairment f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g a positive correlation between lesion size and recovery <strong>of</strong><br />

comprehension. They advise that the size <strong>of</strong> lesion is more significant <strong>in</strong><br />

determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the degree <strong>of</strong> aphasia than its location with anomic aphasia,<br />

however <strong>in</strong> contrast to this a small lesion positioned <strong>in</strong> Wernicke’s area may<br />

produce severe aphasia. Basso (1992) states that the effect <strong>of</strong> the magnitude <strong>of</strong><br />

a lesion on the <strong>in</strong>itial severity <strong>of</strong> aphasia is unquestionable but that once the<br />

<strong>in</strong>itial severity has been accounted for the effect <strong>of</strong> lesion size on recovery <strong>of</strong><br />

language is ambiguous. Ludlow, Rosenberg, Fair, Buck, Schesselman and<br />

Salazar (1986) reported a 15-year follow-up study and reported that the size <strong>of</strong><br />

the lesion was not a predictor <strong>in</strong> itself however, where both the anterior and<br />

posterior language areas were damaged language showed less recovery.<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Basso (1992), Naeser, Helm-Estabrooks, Haas, Auerbach and<br />

Spr<strong>in</strong>ivasan’s (1987) is the only study that directly studies the effect <strong>of</strong> the<br />

location <strong>of</strong> lesion and its relation to recovery. Their results <strong>in</strong>dicated that a large<br />

or posterior lesion <strong>in</strong>itially causes severe aphasia but, as with lesion size, the<br />

effect on the amount <strong>of</strong> recovery is not clearly demonstrated. Basso (1992)<br />

states that the location <strong>of</strong> the lesion has more <strong>in</strong>fluence on the <strong>in</strong>itial severity <strong>of</strong><br />

aphasia than on the degree <strong>of</strong> recovery.<br />

In summary, the relationship between the magnitude and location <strong>of</strong> bra<strong>in</strong><br />

lesions is complex and appears to be <strong>in</strong>terl<strong>in</strong>ked with the <strong>in</strong>itial severity <strong>of</strong><br />

aphasia. Additionally, the relevance <strong>of</strong> size and site <strong>of</strong> lesions may have<br />

different relevance for function; for example, a small lesion <strong>in</strong> the language area<br />

<strong>of</strong> the bra<strong>in</strong> is more disruptive for language than is a large lesion <strong>in</strong> the frontal<br />

lobes (Basso, 1992).<br />

38

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