Attentional dysfunction and word-finding difficulties are related to semantic jargon after a thalamic lesion: a case report

Abstract

Background: Although many case reports on neologistic jargon have been documented, reports on semantic jargon are extremely rare, suggesting that semantic jargon may occur more rarely than neologistic jargon. Aims: To investigate potential mechanisms underlying semantic jargon. Methods & Procedures: We describe a patient who presented with semantic jargon after a left thalamic hemorrhage that mainly affected the pulvinar, lateral posterior nucleus, centromedian nucleus, and reticular nucleus. She was followed for 8 years, during which the temporal changes in her linguistic and neuropsychological functions were investigated. Outcomes & Results: The patient’s semantic jargon disappeared and selective attention improved in parallel. Word-finding deficits remained at the end of the observation period. Conclusions: Our observations of this patient suggest that a thalamic lesion can cause attentional and linguistic dysfunction that does not activate an intended word and its images and, conversely, fails to inactivate non-relevant words and associated images, resulting in semantic jargon.