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Right brain left brain testRight brain left brain test is an article about the neurology tests we perform on a patient to find out whether the pathology lies in the right or left brain. Of course later a CT or MRI of brain will clarify it but a neurologist first should do a thorough clinical examination to extract as much details as possible from the clinical (neurological) examination. The following clinical tests are usually employed
• Speech & language The first 3 are generally a left brain functions. So during a clinical neurology test if a patient is found to have any of the first 3 findings then left brain hemisphere pathology is usually suspected. Similarly if the other tests mentioned above are abnormal then right brain pathology is usually suspected. With speech & language test ability to understand, express, name the objects, repetition of a sentence are checked. With the above apraxia tests ability to perform a previously learnt motor activity is checked e.g. saluting a flag etc. To look for Gerstman syndrome the doctor will test patient’s ability to calculate, write, right & left orientation and recognizing or naming the fingers of the hand. During agraphesthesia test ability to understand what is written on the hand with eyes closed is checked. During astereognosis test the ability to detect an object kept in the hand while eyes are closed is checked. During 2 point discrimination test ability to separately recognize two pointed stimulation on the body is checked.
During visual extinction test ability to detect two visual stimuli presented simultaneously is checked. During sensory extinction test ability to detect two sensory stimuli on the limbs or bodies presented simultaneously is checked. For hemi-neglect you look for whether the patient is aware of the presence of two sides of his body; for example you look for whether patient has shaved on both sides of the face etc. During constructional apraxia test the ability to copy a 3 dimensional diagram is checked.
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