The experience of Wernicke's aphasia

The authors induced a transient Wernicke's aphasia in a patient with left f rontal arteriovenous malformation by superselective Wada injection exclusiv ely into the lower division of the left middle cerebral artery. The patient was then asked to recall his experience, which the authors matched against his language during anesthesia. The patient's account showed that there wa s a more systematic attempt to respond appropriately than the authors could infer from his overt behavior. His narrative suggests that a thought proce ss not measured by aphasia examinations may exist independent of language.