Tan (aphasia patient)

In 1861 Paul Broca a neurologist first described what has become know as Broca's aphasia. Paul

Broca's patient Monsieur Leborgne led him to the discovery of broca's aphasia. Broca's aphasia is

known as an expressive, nonfluent, or motor aphasia. Broca's aphasia deals with a severe

nonfluency of speech which may cause the patient to be mute. In most cases speech is limited to

a few stereotyped expressions or expletives and patient's with less severe affects of broca's

aphasia may be able to answer questions with one word answers. Monsieur Leborgne is commonly referred

to as Tan because it is the only utterance he could make. Tan had a lesion in his third frontal

gyrus which controls motor speech and movement of the tongue, lips and vocal cords. Tan was

admitted to Bicetre Hospital when he was 21 when he suffered from a stroke, lost use of his

speech and became paralyzed on the right side of his body. Tan was Broca's first patient and in

1861 Tan died from widespread gangrene. After Tan's death Broca removed his brain and completed

a post mortem examination to pin point the exact location of Tan's lesions which Broca first

called aphemie which was later named aphasia.