Right Hemisphere Cerebral Dysfunctions in Relation to Language and Communication Deficits

Abstract

Contrary to earlier conceptions of the dominance of the left hemisphere in the regulation of language functions, the right hemisphere performs a significant role in processing language information. Damage to this hemisphere results in specific speech disorders termed as pragnosia in literature. Pragnosia symptoms include inter alia difficulties in understanding language jokes, dysfunctions in the perception and realization of prosodic aspects of speech. Language disorders and other concurrent cognitive deficits limit the communication skills of persons with right hemisphere
damage. The article presents the symptoms of pragnosia exemplified by five patients with right
hemisphere damage.