Gerstmann syndrome
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| R48.8 | Other and unspecified tool malfunctions |
| R48.1 | Agnosia |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
As Gerstmann syndrome is called a symptom complex, which for the first time by Josef Gerstmann described in 1924th It consists of:
- Agraphia (difficulties in writing that are not due to motor disorders or intellectual disabilities)
- Acalculia (difficulty calculating with normal intelligence)
- Finger and toe agnosia (difficulty naming and identifying one's fingers and toes)
- Left-right confusion
The term angularis syndrome is often used synonymously. However, this is regarded as a separate entity (see there). The use of both terms is controversial (see below).
anatomy
Gerstmann's syndrome occurs when there is damage, for example a stroke , in the area of the supramarginal gyrus ( Brodmann area 40) and the neighboring angular gyrus of the language-dominant (mostly left) hemisphere . The supramarginal gyrus winds around the posterior (rear) end of the fissure Sylvii , the angular gyrus around the underlying posterior end of the superior temporal sulcus .
Discussion about relevance
The existence as an independent entity in neurology is controversial. On the one hand, a pure Gerstmann syndrome without apraxia , aphasia or other neurological deficits is very rare. On the other hand, the individual symptoms do not occur more often together than combined with other symptoms. This is because functional losses due to cerebral infarctions or other damage mostly affect larger areas of the brain. Finally, the four symptoms can be partially explained by other malfunctions, such as acalculia due to disturbances in working memory or agraphia due to left-right confusion.
course
The development of symptoms depends heavily on the underlying disease. In the case of a stroke, for example, they usually appear suddenly and can at least partially regress over the course of weeks, months or years. The consistent implementation of occupational therapy and speech therapy are crucial for a good course.
confusion
- The Developmental Gerstmann's Syndrome is a separate disease of childhood and adolescence, which is not accompanied by a lesion of the angular gyrus but with bilateral malfunctions in the parietal lobe of the brain. It occurs along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities.
- The Gerstmann-Scheinker syndrome is a very rare form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Neuroanatomie, Martin Trepel, 1st edition (1995), Urban & Schwarzenberg, ISBN 3-541-13431-3
