Performance in L1 and L2 observed in Arabic-Hebrew bilingual aphasic following brain tumor: A case constitutes double dissociation

This study aimed to verify the existence of a double first language (L1)/second language (L2) dissociation. In recent work, I described a case study of a Arabic-Hebrew aphasic patient (MH) with disturbances in the two languages, with Hebrew (L2) being more impaired. In this case, an Arabic-Hebrew bilingual patient (MM) with a similar cultural background who suffered brain damage following a left hemisphere tumor (oligodendroglioma) and craniotomy is reported. The same materials were used, which overcame methodological constraints in our previous work. The results revealed a complementary pattern of severe impairment of L1 (Arabic), while MM had mild language disorder in L2 (Hebrew) with intact semantic knowledge in both languages. These two cases demonstrate a double L1/L2 dissociation in unique languages, and support the notion that bilingual persons could have distinct cortical language areas

The cognitive basis of diglossia in Arabic: Evidence from a repetition priming study within and between languages

This study examined diglossia and its cognitive basis in Arabic. Repetition priming effects were compared within spoken Arabic (SA), as well as with the effects found when the primes were in either literary Arabic (LA) or Hebrew. In experiment 1, using lexical decisions for auditory presented words, a significant priming effect was found at lag 0 when the primes were in LA and in Hebrew. Furthermore, large repetition priming effects were found at relatively long lags (lag 8–12) within SA. This effect was absent when the repetition involved translation equivalents using either Hebrew or LA. The results showing that lexical decisions for words in SA were not influenced by previous presentations of translation equivalents in LA, in addition to the findings from a former study on semantic priming effects, suggest that the status of LA is similar to that of Hebrew and is consistent with the typical organization of L2 in a separate lexicon. Thus, learning LA appears to be, in some respects, more like learning a second language than like learning the formal register of one’s native language

Selective deficit of second language: a case study of a brain-damaged Arabic-Hebrew bilingual patient

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An understanding of how two languages are represented in the human brain is best obtained from studies of bilingual patients who have sustained brain damage. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether one or both languages of an Arabic-Hebrew bilingual individual are disrupted following brain damage. I present a case study of a bilingual patient, proficient in Arabic and Hebrew, who had sustained brain damage as a result of an intracranial hemorrhage related to herpes encephalitis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The patient's performance on several linguistic tasks carried out in the first language (Arabic) and in the second language (Hebrew) was assessed, and his performance in the two languages was compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The patient displayed somewhat different symptomatologies in the two languages. The results revealed dissociation between the two languages in terms of both the types and the magnitude of errors, pointing to aphasic symptoms in both languages, with Hebrew being the more impaired. Further analysis disclosed that this dissociation was apparently caused not by damage to his semantic system, but rather by damage at the lexical level.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that the principles governing the organization of lexical representations in the brain are not similar for the two languages.</p

The contribution of the two hemispheres to lexical decision in different languages

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Both reading words and text in Arabic is slower than in other languages, even among skilled native Arabic speakers Previously we have shown that the right hemisphere (RH) had difficulty in matching Arabic letters, and suggested that it cannot contribute to word recognition in Arabic. In this study we tested this finding directly.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We used the Divided Visual Field (DVF) lexical decision (LD) paradigm to assess hemispheric function during reading. The experiment had two conditions (unilateral and bilateral). In the unilateral condition, the target stimulus was presented unilaterally to the left or the right visual field. In the bilateral condition two stimuli were presented simultaneously, and participants were cued as to which one was the target. Three groups of participants were tested: Arabic speakers, Hebrew speakers, and English speakers. Each group was tested in their native language.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For Hebrew and English speakers, performance in both visual fields was significantly better in the unilateral than in the bilateral condition. For Arabic speakers, performance in the right visual field (RVF, where stimuli are presented directly to the left hemisphere) did not change in the two conditions. Performance in the LVF (when stimuli are presented directly to the right hemisphere) was at chance level in the bilateral condition, but not in the unilateral condition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We interpret these data as supporting the hypothesis that in English and Hebrew, both hemispheres are involved in LD, whereas in Arabic, the right hemisphere is not involved in word recognition.</p

Cognitive Impairments in Early Multiple Sclerosis

Over the past few decades clinical and research awareness has grown about the nature and prevalence of cognitive disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS). It is assumed that 65% of hospitalized MS patients develop cognitive impairments which have consistently demonstrated a pattern of decline in the following areas: attention working memory executive functions and verbal episodic memory. This chapter reviews the evidence for its associated comorbidities which may address early in the disease course that supports the importance for early recognition and management of cognitive impairment in MS before it becomes an irreversible entity. The focus is on three areas of inquiry: The first aims to provide a description of cognitive impairment in MS at all disease stages and in all subtypes. The second tried to evaluate the clinical imaging and neuroanatomical aspects. And the third focuses on cognitive assessment therapy and rehabilitation based on the literature