DOES GERSTMANN SYNDROME EXIST?

Abstract

The aim of the study is to present Gerstmann syndrome, manifested as a neuropsychological deficit resulting from the damage to the parietal lobe of the left hemisphere. Here it is discussed based on the studies conducted mainly since the 1950’s when it attracted considerable interest, as well as and controversy at the same time. The classic symptoms are briefly described, including the clinical tasks useful in any the diagnosis for during the neuropsychological assessment. The paper also presents recent studies and a alternative different proposal for the understanding of this clinical syndrome. Josef Gerstmann described a clinical tetrad in his patients, which was later to be known as Gerstmann syndrome. The symptoms included finger agnosia, agraphia, acalculia and left-right disorientation. He associated the above symptoms with damage to the left angular gyrus, hence the alternative a different name for of the syndrome i.e., the angular gyrus syndrome. The existence of the syndrome was questioned for some time, something which was never approved by Gerstmann. Currently, the occurrence of the syndrome is confirmed by studies. However, the full and pure tetrad of the classic symptoms as observed is not common. The clinical picture of the syndrome often usually remains incomplete and is related to other neuropsychological deficits such as aphasia, which frequently occurs. In modern considerations, the language deficiencies of semantic aphasia are not treated as non- Gerstmann syndrome, disturbing its pure form, but are considered to be a part of Gerstmann syndrome as such.