Effect of body-part specificity and meaning in gesture imitation in left hemisphere stroke patients

Previous studies showed that imitation of finger and hand/arm gestures could be differentially impaired after brain damage. However, so far, the interaction between gesture meaning body part in deficits has not been fully assessed. In present study, we aimed at filling this gap by testing 36 unilateral left brain-damaged patients with without apraxia (20 apraxics), 29 healthy controls on an task either or meaningful (MF) meaningless (ML) movements, using a large sample stimuli controlling for composition experimental list. Left-brain damaged imitated ML worse than whereas they did show same difference MF imitation. addition, apraxic movements movements. Furthermore, patients' performance was equally affected irrespective action meaning, non-apraxic better gestures. Results suggest are processed as whole, these relies stored motor programs long-term memory, independently involved. contrast, seem to through direct visuo-motor transformations, left-brain damage specifically disrupting more cognitive demanding