The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

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ArticleTitle	Pure Kanji agrahia following hemorrhage to the left posteroinferior temporal lobe -A study in terms of Kanji structures and elements
Language	J
AuthorList	Noriyo Komori¹⁾, Ikuyo Fujita²⁾, Ritsuo Hashimoto³⁾
Affiliation	¹⁾Department of Speech Therapy, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital ²⁾Department of Speech Therapy, International University of Health and Welfare ³⁾Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital
Publication	Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 25 (3), 221-227, 2009
Received	Aug 11, 2008
Accepted	Feb 17, 2009
Abstract	We report a 60 year-old, right-handed man who showed pure Kanji agraphia following hemorrhage restricted to the left postroinferior temporal lobe. He produced many erroneous Kanji characters that do not exist in Japanese. We investigated those erroneous Kanji characters in terms of Kanji elements and structures. As a rule, a Kanji character is an assembly of several components; i.e. elements. Kanji structures are general frames for Kanji writing where the elements are located; for example, up and bottom, left and right, in and out, etc. Striking features of the erroneous Kanji characters of our case are as follows; structures are well preserved and almost all written elements really exist in Japanese, however, inappropriate elements are retrieved. From these observations, we suggest that a process to retrieve Kanji visual forms can be subdivided into recalling Kanji structures and recollecting Kanji elements. Our case seems to have a deficit in the second requirement resulting as pure Kanji agraphia. The left postroinferior temporal lobe may play a crucial role to retrieve correct Kanji elements.
Keywords	kanji, agraphia, left postroinferior temporal lobe, structures, elements