Abstract
In a neuropsychological analysis of lesions of the left temporo-parietal region of the brain we tried to describe disturbances in the retention and reproduction of acousticoverbal traces. These disturbances were modality-specific: no such disturbances were observed in lesion with different localization. The main symptom observed was an inability to reproduce a series of phonemes or words presented orally. This symptom could not be explained as a simple weakening of acoustico-verbal traces; it could be explained as a result of pathological changes in the neurodynamic processes. Two kinds of neurodynamic factors underlying the disturbance of retention and reproduction of traces are described. The first factor is a pathological increase of external (pro-and retro-active) inhibition: in these cases summation of inhibitory influences results in a blocking of the connections between elements, and the regular serial reproduction of traces becomes impossible. The second factor is that of “equalization of excitation”: the dynamic range of the excitation becomes restricted, and a selective reproduction of dominant traces is no more possible; the “paraphasic” reproduction of equivalent traces is typical of this kind of disturbance A neurodynamic analysis of memory disturbances in cases of local brain lesions is an important step in the further development of neuropsychology—from a descriptive to an explanatory science.
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