Written production in a case of locked-in syndrome with bilateral corticopontic degeneration
Résumé
Patients in locked-in syndrome show normal or near normal mental abilities that contrast with
the limited motor capacity that hinders voluntary communication. However, eye movements
and blinking are usually preserved and can be used to establish a communication system. We
report an exceptional case of locked-in syndrome. The aetiology was basilar thrombosis
consecutive to a cervical manipulation. In addition, brain MRI performed 23 years later
evidenced a ventral pontine stroke with bilateral corticopontic degeneration. In this study the
patient was able to produce written output using a chin-controlled Morse system decoded by a
computer. A detailed linguistic analysis of text written over 20 years by the patient was
carried out. The data demonstrate that improvements in language performance can be
observed even in patients with brain lesions in areas associated to high-level cognitive
processes. The data shows a decrease of typing, grammatical and lexical errors over time, a
use of less frequent words, and an increase of more complex linguistic structures. This paper
adds to previous findings, confirming the value of daily practice and rehabilitation to enhance
quality of life in this group of patients.