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Posted On : 06 Jul 2010

Can we say that dyslexia in childhood corresponds or equivalent to gerstman syndrome in adults. If it is so there is an obviuos reason for dyslexia and that points towards prenatal , intranatal or postnatal insult {any insult causing vascular compromise predominantly in parietal, temporal, occipital area-wtershed areas} Cant this be braught into notice of gynecologist. because dyslexia seems to have preventable environmental influenes.

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Gerstmann syndrome is characterized by four primary symptoms: Dysgraphiapergraphia, Dyscalculiapercalculia, Finger agnosia, Left-right disorientation. This disorder is often associated with brain lesions in the dominant {usually left} hemisphere including the angular and supramarginal gyri near the temporal and parietal lobe junction. In adults, the syndrome may occur after a stroke or in association with damage to the parietal lobe. There are few reports of the syndrome, sometimes called developmental Gerstmann syndrome, in children. The cause is not known. Most cases are identified when children reach school age, a time when they are challenged with writing and math exercises. Generally, children with the disorder exhibit poor handwriting and spelling skills, and difficulty with math functions, including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. An inability to differentiate right from left and to discriminate among individual fingers may also be apparent. In addition to the four primary symptoms, many children also suffer from constructional apraxia, an inability to copy simple drawings. Frequently, there is also an impairment in reading. Children with a high level of intellectual functioning as well as those with brain damage may be affected with the disorder. Dyslexia is not the same as this syndrome.

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