Phonemic Disintegration

Phonemic Disintegration

Phonemic disintegration refers to an impaired ability to organize phonemes, the smallest units in which spoken language may be sequentially described, resulting in substitutions, deletions and misorderings of phonemes. Phonemic disintegration is relatively common in aphasic disorders, including Broca’s aphasia, conduction aphasia, and transcortical motor aphasia. Isolated phonemic disintegration is rare. The neural substrate may be primary motor cortex of the left inferior precentral gyrus and subjacent white matter, with sparing of Broca’s area.

References

Larner AJ, Robinson G, Kartsounis LD et al. Clinical-anatomical correlation in a selective phonemic speech production impairment. Journal of the Neurological Sciences 2004; 219: 23-29
Taubner RW, Raymer AM, Heilman KM. Frontal-opercular aphasia.
Brain & Language 1999; 70: 240-261

Cross References

Aphasia; Aphemia; Broca’s aphasia