Pure dysarthria due to an insular infarction

Cortical infarction presenting with pure dysarthria is rarely reported. Previous studies have reported pure dysarthria due to cortical stroke at the precentral gyrus or middle frontal gyrus. We report a 72-year-old man who developed pure dysarthria caused by an acute cortical infarction in the insular cortex. The role of the insula in language has been difficult to assess clinically because of the rarity of pure insular strokes. Our patient showed pure dysarthria without aphasia, indicating that pure dysarthria can be the sole manifestation of insular infarctions. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.