Brain damage associated with apraxia of speech: evidence from case studies

The site of crucial damage that causes acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) has been debated in the literature. This study presents five in-depth cases that offer insight into the role of brain areas involved in AOS. Four of the examined participants had a primary impairment of AOS either with (n=2) or without concomitant mild aphasia (n=2). The fifth participant presented with a lesion relatively isolated to the left anterior insula (AIns-L), damage that is rarely reported in the literature, but without AOS. Taken together, these cases challenge the role of the AIns-L and implicate the left motor regions in AOS.