The Neurology of Proverbs
Although proverb tests are commonly used in the mental status examination surprisingly little is known about either normal comprehension or the interpretation of proverbial expressions. Current proverbs tests have conceptual and linguistic shortcomings, and few studies have been done to investigate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
1990-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioural Neurology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1990-3304 |
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| _version_ | 1850218664867921920 |
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| author | Diana Van Lancker |
| author_facet | Diana Van Lancker |
| author_sort | Diana Van Lancker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although proverb tests are commonly used in the mental status examination surprisingly little is known about either normal comprehension or the interpretation of proverbial expressions. Current proverbs tests have conceptual and linguistic shortcomings, and few studies have been done to investigate the specific effects of neurological and psychiatric disorders on the interpretation of proverbs. Although frontal lobes have traditionally been impugned in patients who are “concrete”, recent studies targeting deficient comprehension of non literal language (e.g. proverbs, idioms, speech formulas, and indirect requests) point to an important role of the right hemisphere (RH). Research describing responses of psychiatrically and neurologically classified groups to tests of proverb and idiom usage is needed to clarify details of aberrant processing of nonliteral meanings. Meanwhile, the proverb test, drawing on diverse cognitive skills, is a nonspecific but sensitive probe of mental status. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-322db3bacf834d588f6ebf42ddc3b60d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0953-4180 1875-8584 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 1990-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioural Neurology |
| spelling | doaj-art-322db3bacf834d588f6ebf42ddc3b60d2025-08-20T02:07:39ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85841990-01-013316918710.3233/BEN-1990-3304The Neurology of ProverbsDiana Van Lancker0Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and Department of Neuroscience, University of North Dakota Medical School, and Neurology Service, Fargo VAM ROC, Fargo, North Dakota, USAAlthough proverb tests are commonly used in the mental status examination surprisingly little is known about either normal comprehension or the interpretation of proverbial expressions. Current proverbs tests have conceptual and linguistic shortcomings, and few studies have been done to investigate the specific effects of neurological and psychiatric disorders on the interpretation of proverbs. Although frontal lobes have traditionally been impugned in patients who are “concrete”, recent studies targeting deficient comprehension of non literal language (e.g. proverbs, idioms, speech formulas, and indirect requests) point to an important role of the right hemisphere (RH). Research describing responses of psychiatrically and neurologically classified groups to tests of proverb and idiom usage is needed to clarify details of aberrant processing of nonliteral meanings. Meanwhile, the proverb test, drawing on diverse cognitive skills, is a nonspecific but sensitive probe of mental status.http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1990-3304 |
| spellingShingle | Diana Van Lancker The Neurology of Proverbs Behavioural Neurology |
| title | The Neurology of Proverbs |
| title_full | The Neurology of Proverbs |
| title_fullStr | The Neurology of Proverbs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Neurology of Proverbs |
| title_short | The Neurology of Proverbs |
| title_sort | neurology of proverbs |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-1990-3304 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dianavanlancker theneurologyofproverbs AT dianavanlancker neurologyofproverbs |