Comprehension of Spatial Metaphors After Right Hemisphere Stroke: A Case Report

Studying how spatial information interacts with figurative language processing in right-hemisphere (RH) stroke patients is a relatively neglected area of research. The goal of the present case study was to establish whether an ischemic lesion in the right temporo-parietal region causing spatial neglect would affect comprehension of sentence-level spatial metaphors, since some evidence indicates the crucial role of the RH in metaphor processing. The patient under study showed some degree of cognitive impairment (e.g., in spatial and verbal working memory, executive control, visuo-spatial matching skills). However, his comprehension of spatial metaphors was preserved. This case illustrates that RH damage does not necessarily affect comprehension of sentence-level spatial metaphors.