Cross-modal integration following stroke: Cognitive strategy reflects laterality of brain damage

Abstract

Hemiplegic stroke patients were inferior to control subjects in selecting one of four drawings that best represented both a word and a meaningful sound. Error analysis indicated that right hemiplegics responded more frequently to meaningful sounds alone than to words alone; left hemiplegics responded with equal frequency to words alone and to meaningful sounds alone. Failure to combine verbal and nonverbal cues suggests the possibility of deficient interaction between intrahemispheric processes following unilateral cerebral vascular accident.