Selective Impairment of Verb Retrieval in Subcortical Aphasia

Abstract

Selective impairments of word-class retrieval skills have been extensively reported in the literature. Such findings posit that the conceptual knowledge is represented in specific categories, with possibly different neural representations. Although there are myriads of such findings in the literature, similar reports are scanty from the Indian context. Against this backdrop, we present two subjects with comparable subcortical lesions and aphasias. Interestingly, one subject showed selective difficulty in retrieving verbs. An attempt is made in this paper to discuss the reason for such a selective verb retrieval deficit in one patient alone and the relevance of probing into such dissociations in the Indian context. Based on our observations, we advocate the incorporation of verb naming task in the routine screening of subjects with brain damage.