Brainwaves

Lesion localization is a critical skill for any neurologist. The so-called "cortical signs" are symptoms or exam findings which are often associated with cortical neuron injury--aphasia, neglect, gaze preference. But they are also seen after injury to subcortical structures, including white matter tracts, the thalamus, and basal ganglia. In this week's installment of the BrainWaves podcast, we'll attempt to localize subcortical lesions based on these major cortical signs. Produced by James E. Siegler. Music by Aussenseiter, Gnagno, Yshwa, and Kevin McLeod. BrainWaves' podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used for clinical decision making. REFERENCES Maeshima S and Osawa A. Thalamic Lesions and Aphasia or Neglect. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. 2018;18:39. Bogousslavsky J, Regli F and Uske A. Thalamic infarcts: clinical syndromes, etiology, and prognosis. Neurology. 1988;38:837-48. Karnath HO, Himmelbach M and Rorden C. The subcortical anatomy of h