DO INTRACAROTID BARBITURATE INJECTIONS OFFER A WAY TO INVESTIGATE HEMISPHERIC MODELS OF ANOSOGNOSIA

In a sample of 83 patients counterbalanced for side of temporal-lobe s eizure focus, we examined unawareness of hemiplegia upon clearing of t he deficit after bilateral sodium amobarbital injections. Unawareness occurred commonly (66%) and with equal frequency following left and ri ght injections. These findings were not moderated by speech dominance, handedness, sex, or side of seizure focus. Unawareness occurred more frequently after injections contralateral to than ipsilateral to the m ajor seizure focus and was related to objective memory performance aft er contralateral, but not after ipsilateral, injections. Unawareness o f drug-induced hemiplegia was related to the functional status of the temporal lobe independently of hemispheric laterality or degree of fro ntal lobe inactivation as measured by filling of the anterior cerebral arteries.