Midorikawa A, Kawamura M
Department of Psychology, Chuo University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan.
Neuroreport. 2000 Sep 11;11(13):3053-7. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200009110-00045.
Damage to the left upper parietal lobule causes pure agraphia. However, we experienced a patient who exhibited musical agraphia following such a lesion after the agraphia improved. The patient was a 53-year-old female piano teacher. After surgery, she exhibited agraphia and musical agraphia. There was no expressive amusia, receptive amusia, aphasia, agnosia or apraxia. Fifteen months post-surgery, when her agraphia had resolved, her abilities to read, write, and copy music were evaluated. She could read and write single notes and musical signs, but her ability to write a melody was seriously impaired. Furthermore, the salient impairment was in writing rhythm rather than pitch. She could copy music, but only slowly. We consider her a case of pure musical agraphia.
