Ca. Dywan et al., DO INTRACAROTID BARBITURATE INJECTIONS OFFER A WAY TO INVESTIGATE HEMISPHERIC MODELS OF ANOSOGNOSIA, Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section A, Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 17(3), 1995, pp. 431-438
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.