Definition

Gerstmann syndrome is a cluster of neurological symptoms that includes difficulty writing (dysgraphia or agraphia), difficulty with arithmetic (dyscalculia or acalculia), an inability to distinguish left from right, and difficulty identifying fingers (finger agnosia).

Description

Two types of Gerstmann syndrome have been identified: an acquired form that occurs in adults who have suffered brain injury through stroke or trauma, and a developmental form that has been noted in children.

The brain area that seems to be primarily responsible for the deficits seen in Gerstmann syndrome appears to be the parietal lobe, which is located behind the frontal lobe. Current research has not identified a tendency for the developmental form of...