Performance in L1 and L2 observed in Arabic-Hebrew bilingual aphasic following brain tumor: A case constitutes double dissociation

Case report

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Author: Raphiq Ibrahim

Published Date October 2008 Volume 2008:1 Pages 11 - 19

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S4125

Raphiq Ibrahim

University of Haifa and Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

Abstract: This study aimed to verify the existence of a double first language (L1)/second language (L2) dissociation. In recent work, I described a case study of a Arabic-Hebrew aphasic patient (MH) with disturbances in the two languages, with Hebrew (L2) being more impaired. In this case, an Arabic-Hebrew bilingual patient (MM) with a similar cultural background who suffered brain damage following a left hemisphere tumor (oligodendroglioma) and craniotomy is reported. The same materials were used, which overcame methodological constraints in our previous work. The results revealed a complementary pattern of severe impairment of L1 (Arabic), while MM had mild language disorder in L2 (Hebrew) with intact semantic knowledge in both languages. These two cases demonstrate a double L1/L2 dissociation in unique languages, and support the notion that bilingual persons could have distinct cortical language areas.

Keywords: aphasia, arabic, hebrew, brain damage, dissociation, double-dissociation, bilingual, localization

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