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Borderzone Strokes and Transcortical Aphasia

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Abstract

Borderzone infarcts (BZIs) are anatomically defined as ischemic lesions occurring at the junction between two arterial territories, accounting for 2% to 10% of strokes. Three types of hemispheric BZIs are described according to topography (ie, superficial anterior, posterior, and deep). Although published series on related aphasia are rare in the setting of BZI, aphasia is of transcortical (TCA) type, characterized by the preservation of repetition. TCA can be of motor, sensory, or mixed type depending on whether expression, understanding, or both are impaired. Recent studies have reported specific aphasic patterns. BZI patients initially presented with mixed TCA. Aphasia specifically evolved according to the stroke location, toward motor or sensory TCA in patients with respectively anterior or posterior BZI. TCA was associated with good long-term prognosis. This specific aphasic pattern is interesting in clinical practice because it prompts the suspicion of a BZI before the MRI is done, and it helps in the planning of rehabilitation and in providing adapted information to the patient and family concerning the likelihood of language recovery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Bicêtre Hospital, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Cécile Cauquil-Michon, Constance Flamand-Roze & Christian Denier

  2. PARIS XI - Sud University, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Cécile Cauquil-Michon

  3. INSERM U788, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Christian Denier

  4. Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, 94275, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Christian Denier

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  1. Cécile Cauquil-Michon
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  2. Constance Flamand-Roze
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  3. Christian Denier
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Correspondence to Christian Denier.

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Cauquil-Michon, C., Flamand-Roze, C. & Denier, C. Borderzone Strokes and Transcortical Aphasia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 11, 570–577 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-011-0221-z

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