Aphemia: A rare presentation of an acute infarct (P3.277)

Conclusions:Aphemia, or apraxia of speech, is a rare presentation of dominant inferior frontal gyrus infarction. Aphemia is primarily a disorder of articulation, whereas aphasia is a disorder of language. This patient lost her ability to produce speech but was able to comprehend and write fluently. Her deficit did not fit a classic aphasia pattern but rather represented an inability to voluntarily control her oral muscles, resulting in a transient apraxia of the muscles of articulation, chewing, and deglutition. Very few cases of acute aphemia due to stroke are described, all localized to the dominant inferior frontal gyrus. Initial differential included either structural oropharyngeal or functional speech disorder but work-up revealed an ischemic infarct. In cases of sudden loss of ability to speak with preserved comprehension and written communication, aphemia due to ischemic stroke of the dominant inferior frontal gyrus should be considered high on the differential.Disclosure: Dr. Stachyra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Davalos-Balderas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation for activities as an expert witness in litigation. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation as a speaker at non-commercial CME talks for primary care physicians. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for the Ethics and Medicolegal Issues for Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology and Continuum Audio.
Source: Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Cerebrovascular Disease Case Reports II Source Type: research