Diaschisis, Site, Time and Other Factors in Raven Performances of Adults with Focal Cerebral Lesions

Abstract

Analyses of Raven matrices performances by 35 patients with acute and 22 with chronic focal lesions restricted to the anterior or posterior regions of the left or right hemispheres illustrate the importance of controlling for diaschisis, specific site, time, age and other factors determining neuropsychological performances. These findings have important practical and theoretical implications with respect to the elucidation of principles underlying organization, disorganization and reorganization of human brain functions. They also suggest that many of the previous controversial and conflicting reports may be reconciled when these and other significant underlying factors are accounted for. Finally, they confirm Jackson's earlier observations of the critical role of the right posterior lobe in “visuopsychic” non verbal mental processes.

Key Words:

• diaschisis
• Raven Matrices
• brain tumors
• focal cerebral lesions
• age
• brain lesion dynamics
• neuropsychological performance