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Investigation of Gerstmann's Syndrome Induced by Hypnotic Suggestion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

John B. Stanton*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne

Extract

Certain specific disabilities following lesions of the dominant hemisphere particularly those involving the parietal region, have been recognized for many years. The syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, right-left disorientation and finger agnosia is usually known as Gerstmann's syndrome, following that author's descriptions in 1924 and 1940. It has been suggested that of these four main components of the syndrome, finger agnosia might be the fundamental disturbance, bringing the others in its train. Thus, as a result of the postulated importance of the digits for numeration, acalculia would naturally follow. Dysgraphia would result from the loss of the “schema” for the fingers—a part of the body-image—and right-left disorientation might be a consequence of the same body-image disturbance—a “hand” agnosia.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1954 

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References

Gerstmann, J., “Fingeragnosie. Eine umschriebene Störung der Orientierung am eigenen Körper”, Wien. klin. Wchnschr., 1924, 37, 1010.Google Scholar
Idem , “Syndrome of finger agnosia, disorientation for right and left, agraphia and acalculia”. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chicago), 1940, 44, 398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schilder, P., The Image and Appearance of the Human Body, 1935. London.Google Scholar
Teitelbaum, H. A., “Psychogenic body image disturbances associated with psychogenic aphasia and agnosia”, J. nerv. ment. Dis., 1941, 93, 581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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