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Script Generation and Executive Dysfunction in Patients with Anterior and Posterior Brain Lesions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2016

Anna Emmanouel ,
Danielle Boelen ,
Eirini Mouza ,
Phillipe Allain ,
Roy P.C. Kessels  and
Luciano Fasotti
Anna Emmanouel*
Affiliation:
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Danielle Boelen
Affiliation:
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Rehabilitation Medical Centre Groot Klimmendaal, Arnhem, The Netherlands
Eirini Mouza
Affiliation:
Rehabilitation Centre ‘Anagennisi’, Nea Redestos, Oik. Filothei, Thessaloniki, Greece
Phillipe Allain
Affiliation:
Department de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France Laboratoire de Psychology (EA 2646), Universite d’ Angers, Angers, France
Roy P.C. Kessels
Affiliation:
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
Luciano Fasotti
Affiliation:
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Rehabilitation Medical Centre Groot Klimmendaal, Arnhem, The Netherlands
*
Address for correspondence: Anna Emmanouel, Radboud University and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3 6525 HR Nijmegen, Nijmegen, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract

Introduction: Studies on script processing have shown inconsistent relations between deficits in script action generation and frontal lobe pathology. Therefore, we investigated which difficulties in script action generation are linked to anterior lesions. Moreover, we explored whether verbal script generation can be predicted by specific executive processes.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with acquired brain injury (mean age: 44.23 years, 30 male/22 female) were included, of whom 30 had anterior and 22 had posterior lesions. Several indices of the Everyday Description Task were investigated: relevant central actions (RCAs); relevant trivial actions (RTAs); relevant and irrelevant intrusions (RI & IRI); sequencing (SEs) and perseverative (PEs) errors. Additionally, five z-composite scores representing planning, response generation, working memory, inhibition and shifting were calculated. Correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were computed.

Results: Anteriorly lesioned patients produced significantly less RCAs and more PEs and SEs compared to posteriorly damaged patients. No differences were found with RTAs, RI and IRI. RCAs were predicted by planning, response generation and working memory, RI by response generation and working memory, IRI by inhibition, PEs and SEs by response generation and shifting. None of these executive processes predicted RTAs.

Conclusions: Difficulties in RCAs, PEs and SEs are sensitive indicators of anterior brain damage and script generation demands various executive abilities.

Keywords

Script generationbrain injuryanterior pathologyexecutive dysfunctionmultistep activities of daily living
Type
Articles
Information
Brain Impairment , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , December 2016 , pp. 193 - 208
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment 2016 

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