More support for Correlational Opponent Processing?(http://homepages.msn.com/LaGrangeLn/ronaldblue/index.html) >>>>>>>>>> http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990910/hl/str7_1.html NEW YORK, Sep 10 (Reuters Health) -- The overwhelmingly negative consequences of stroke such as paralysis, mood changes and speech problems are well-known, but for one 66-year-old man, a stroke actually turned his luck around. Once a ``stern, difficult'' man, who had been stuttering since childhood, the man is now stutter-free, cheerful, talkative and easygoing, Japanese researcher report in a case study published in the journal Neurology. Importantly, the new findings may offer clues to help doctors better understand stuttering and potentially enable them develop new ways to treat this common problem, the study authors note. ``The cessation of stuttering together with acquisition of an easygoing personality was well-accepted by his family, a rare favorable consequence of stroke,'' writes lead researcher Dr. Akiko Muroi of the Fukushima Medical University in Japan. ``This unusual case may contribute to our understanding of stuttering, one of the more common and difficult neuropsychological problems.'' A stroke or ``brain attack'' occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, or there is bleeding into the brain. Exactly why this man's stroke brought favorable consequences is not yet understood, however the stroke occurred due to a blockage within the brain's thalamus region, which is believed to play a role in language expression, researchers suggest. When this region is not functioning properly, a stutter may occur. ``This report is of special interest because the effect seems to work both ways, the cessation of stuttering in our patient and the appearance in others,'' Muroi notes. ``The man has not stuttered since his stroke, and his language, intelligence and brain function appear unimpaired,'' Muroi concludes in a written press release, explaining that tests conducted after the stroke show that the man's IQ, memory, and language was not affected by the stroke. Muroi notes that ``following (the man's) recovery, his wife, who was long annoyed by his stubbornness, stated with a smile, 'He has been rejuvenated completely' and did not appear to be much concerned by his childish behavior.'' Most people who suffer a stroke become more irritable, moody and apathetic, but ``he became an easygoing, cheerful and childish person from being a... stern, difficult man,'' he notes. SOURCE: Neurology 1999;53:890.
