Performance of language tasks in patients with ruptured aneurysm of the left hemisphere worses in the post-surgical evaluation

ABSTRACT

Sub-arachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) promotes impairment of upper cortical functions. However, few information is available emphasizing changes in language after aneurismal SAH and aneurysm location influence.

Objective To assess the language and verbal fluency performance in aneurismal SAH pre- and post-surgery in patients caused by an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery (AcomA), left middle cerebral artery (L-MCA) and left posterior comunicating artery (L-PcomA).

Methods Assessment in 79 patients with SAH, on two occasions: pre- and post surgical treatment. They were divided into three groups by the aneurysms’ location.

Results Deterioration is detected in the performance of all patients during the post-surgical period; L-MCA aneurysm patients displayed a reduction in verbal naming and fluency; L-PcomA patients deteriorated in the written language and fluency tasks.

Conclusion After the surgical procedure the patients decreased in various language tasks and these differences in performance being directly related to the location of the aneurysm.

RESUMO

Hemorragia subaracnóidea (HSA) proporciona alterações nas altas funções cerebrais. Contudo, há poucos trabalhos enfatizando as alterações da linguagem na HSA aneurismática e a influência da localização do aneurisma.

Objetivos Analisar e comparar os desempenhos da linguagem e fluência verbal na HSA nos períodos pré e pós-cirúrgicos nos pacientes com aneurismas da comunicante anterior (AcomA), cerebral média (ACME) e comunicante posterior esquerdas (AcomPE).

Métodos A avaliação da linguagem de 79 pacientes com HSA aneurismática foi realizada em duas ocasiões: pré e pós cirurgia. Eles foram divididos em três grupos de acordo com a localização do aneurisma.

Resultados Os grupos apresentaram deterioração na avaliação pós-operatória com diferentes características. O grupo da ACME demonstraram deterioração na fluência e nomeação, enquanto o da AcomPE pioraram nos testes de linguagem escrita e fluência.

Conclusões Após o tratamento cirúrgico, os pacientes deterioraram em vários itens de linguagem com diferenças relacionadas à localização do aneurisma.

subarachnoid hemorrhage - intracranial aneurysm - language

hemorragia subaracnóidea - aneurisma intracraniano - linguagem

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