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Billot A, Kiran S. Disentangling neuroplasticity mechanisms in post-stroke language recovery. Brain Lang 2024; 251:105381. [PMID: 38401381 PMCID: PMC10981555 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
A major objective in post-stroke aphasia research is to gain a deeper understanding of neuroplastic mechanisms that drive language recovery, with the ultimate goal of enhancing treatment outcomes. Subsequent to recent advances in neuroimaging techniques, we now have the ability to examine more closely how neural activity patterns change after a stroke. However, the way these neural activity changes relate to language impairments and language recovery is still debated. The aim of this review is to provide a theoretical framework to better investigate and interpret neuroplasticity mechanisms underlying language recovery in post-stroke aphasia. We detail two sets of neuroplasticity mechanisms observed at the synaptic level that may explain functional neuroimaging findings in post-stroke aphasia recovery at the network level: feedback-based homeostatic plasticity and associative Hebbian plasticity. In conjunction with these plasticity mechanisms, higher-order cognitive control processes dynamically modulate neural activity in other regions to meet communication demands, despite reduced neural resources. This work provides a network-level neurobiological framework for understanding neural changes observed in post-stroke aphasia and can be used to define guidelines for personalized treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Billot
- Center for Brain Recovery, Boston University, Boston, USA; Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Center for Brain Recovery, Boston University, Boston, USA.
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2
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Bontemps M, Servières-Bordes M, Moritz-Gasser S. Combining executive function training and anomia therapy in chronic post-stroke aphasia: A preliminary study of multidimensional effects. Int J Speech Lang Pathol 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38356392 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2023.2289351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The influential relationship between executive functioning and aphasia rehabilitation outcomes has been addressed in a number of studies, but few have studied the effect of adding executive function training to linguistic therapies. The present study aimed to measure the effects of combining, within therapy sessions, executive function training and anomia therapy on naming and discourse abilities in people with chronic aphasia. METHOD A single-case experimental design with multiple baselines across participants was used. Four persons with chronic post-stroke aphasia received 12 sessions of a tailored treatment combining executive function training and semantic feature analysis (SFA) therapy. Naming accuracy of treated items was examined over the course of the treatment while control naming scores of untreated items and discourse measures were collected pre-treatment, immediately post-treatment, and 4 weeks post-treatment, in order to investigate the multidimensional effects of the treatment and their maintenance. RESULT Naming skills improved in all participants for treated and untreated items, were maintained over time, and were accompanied by improved discourse abilities. Visual and statistical analyses showed a significant treatment effect for naming skills in three out of the four participants. CONCLUSION A combination of executive function training and SFA treatment in people with chronic aphasia may improve both naming skills and discourse efficiency. Further studies are needed to substantiate these promising preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Bontemps
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Sylvie Moritz-Gasser
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Institute of Functional Genomics INSERM U 1191, Montpellier, France
- Praxiling UMR 5267 CNRS, Montpellier, France
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Mayer JF, Madden EB, Mozeiko J, Murray LL, Patterson JP, Purdy M, Sandberg CW, Wallace SE. Generalization in Aphasia Treatment: A Tutorial for Speech-Language Pathologists. Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2024; 33:57-73. [PMID: 38052053 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Generalization has been defined and instantiated in a variety of ways over the last half-century, and this lack of consistency has created challenges for speech-language pathologists to plan for, implement, and measure generalization in aphasia treatment protocols. This tutorial provides an overview of generalization with a focus on how it relates to aphasia intervention, including a synthesis of existing principles of generalization and examples of how these can be embedded in approaches to aphasia treatment in clinical and research settings. METHOD Three articles collectively listing 20 principles of generalization formed the foundation for this tutorial. The seminal work of Stokes and Baer (1977) focused attention on generalization in behavioral change following treatment. Two aphasia-specific resources identified principles of generalization in relation to aphasia treatment (Coppens & Patterson, 2018; Thompson, 1989). A selective literature review was conducted to identify evidence-based examples of each of these 20 principles from the extant literature. RESULTS Five principles of generalization were synthesized from the original list of 20. Each principle was supported by studies drawn from the aphasia treatment literature to exemplify its application. CONCLUSIONS Generalization is an essential aspect of meaningful aphasia intervention. Successful generalization requires the same dedication to strategic planning and outcome measurement as the direct training aspect of intervention. Although not all people with aphasia are likely to benefit equally from each of the principles reviewed herein, our synthesis provides information to consider for maximizing generalization of aphasia treatment outcomes. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24714399.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie F Mayer
- School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
| | - Elizabeth B Madden
- School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee
| | - Jennifer Mozeiko
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs
| | - Laura L Murray
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Mary Purdy
- Department of Communication Disorders, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven
| | - Chaleece W Sandberg
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Sarah E Wallace
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, PA
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Simic T, Desjardins MÈ, Courson M, Bedetti C, Houzé B, Brambati SM. Treatment-induced neuroplasticity after anomia therapy in post-stroke aphasia: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Brain Lang 2023; 244:105300. [PMID: 37633250 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
We systematically reviewed the literature on neural changes following anomia treatment post-stroke. We conducted electronic searches of CINAHL, Cochrane Trials, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, MEDLINE-in-Process and PsycINFO databases; two independent raters assessed all abstracts and full texts. Accepted studies reported original data on adults with post-stroke aphasia, who received behavioural treatment for anomia, and magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI) pre- and post-treatment. Search results yielded 2481 citations; 33 studies were accepted. Most studies employed functional MRI and the quality of reporting neuroimaging methodology was variable, particularly for pre-processing steps and statistical analyses. The most methodologically robust data were synthesized, focusing on pre- versus post-treatment contrasts. Studies more commonly reported increases (versus decreases) in activation following naming therapy, primarily in the left supramarginal gyrus, and left/bilateral precunei. Our findings highlight the methodological heterogeneity across MRI studies, and the paucity of robust evidence demonstrating direct links between brain and behaviour in anomia rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Simic
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent-d'Indy Avenue, Montréal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada; Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM), 5400 Boul Gouin O, Montréal, QC H4J 1C5, Canada.
| | - Marie-Ève Desjardins
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent-d'Indy Avenue, Montréal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada; Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM), 5400 Boul Gouin O, Montréal, QC H4J 1C5, Canada
| | - Melody Courson
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent-d'Indy Avenue, Montréal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Christophe Bedetti
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada
| | - Bérengère Houzé
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent-d'Indy Avenue, Montréal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Simona Maria Brambati
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545 Queen Mary R.d., Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent-d'Indy Avenue, Montréal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada; Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM), 5400 Boul Gouin O, Montréal, QC H4J 1C5, Canada
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Schumacher R, Halai AD, Lambon Ralph MA. Attention to attention in aphasia - elucidating impairment patterns, modality differences and neural correlates. Neuropsychologia 2022; 177:108413. [PMID: 36336090 PMCID: PMC7614452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
It is increasingly acknowledged that patients with aphasia following a left-hemisphere stroke often have difficulties in other cognitive domains. One of these domains is attention, the very fundamental ability to detect, select, and react to the abundance of stimuli present in the environment. Basic and more complex attentional functions are usually distinguished, and a variety of tests has been developed to assess attentional performance at a behavioural level. Attentional performance in aphasia has been investigated previously, but often only one specific task, stimulus modality, or type of measure was considered and usually only group-level analyses or data based on experimental tasks were presented. Also, information on brain-behaviour relationships for this cognitive domain and patient group is scarce. We report detailed analyses on a comprehensive dataset including patients' performance on various subtests of two well-known, standardised neuropsychological test batteries assessing attention. These tasks allowed us to explore: 1) how many patients show impaired performance in comparison to normative data, in which tasks and on what measure; 2) how the different tasks and measures relate to each other and to patients' language abilities; 3) the neural correlates associated with attentional performance. Up to 32 patients with varying aphasia severity were assessed with subtests from the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) as well as the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA). Performance was compared to normative data, relationships between attention measures and other background data were explored with principal component analyses and correlations, and brain-behaviour relationships were assessed by means of voxel-based correlational methodology. Depending on the task and measure, between 3 and 53 percent of the patients showed impaired performance compared to normative data. The highest proportion of impaired performance was noted for complex attention tasks involving auditory stimuli. Patients differed in their patterns of performance and only the performance in the divided attention tests was (weakly) associated with their overall language impairment. Principal components analyses yielded four underlying factors, each being associated with distinct neural correlates. We thus extend previous research in characterizing different aspects of attentional performance within one sample of patients with chronic post stroke aphasia. Performance on a broad range of attention tasks and measures was variable and largely independent of patients' language abilities, which underlines the importance of assessing this cognitive domain in aphasic patients. Notably, a considerable proportion of patients showed difficulties with attention allocation to auditory stimuli. The reasons for these potentially modality-specific difficulties are currently not well understood and warrant additional investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Schumacher
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Ajay D Halai
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A Lambon Ralph
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Yan Z, Xu S, Wei D, He X, Li C, Zhang Y, Chen M, Zhang J, Li X, Yang Q, Jia J. Comparison of three cognitive assessment methods in post-stroke aphasia patients. Front Psychol 2022; 13:896095. [PMID: 36337480 PMCID: PMC9631299 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.896095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cognitive level of post-stroke aphasia (PSA) patients is generally lower than non-aphasia patients, and cognitive impairment (CI) affects the outcome of stroke. However, for different types of PSA, what kind of cognitive assessment methods to choose is not completely clear. We investigated the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Non-language-based Cognitive Assessment (NLCA) to observe the evaluation effect of CI in patients with fluent aphasia (FA) and non-fluent aphasia (NFA). Methods 92 stroke patients were included in this study. Demographic and clinical data of the stroke group were documented. The language and cognition were evaluated by Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), MoCA, MMSE, and NLCA. PSA were divided into FA and NFA according to the Chinese aphasia fluency characteristic scale. Pearson’s product–moment correlation coefficient test and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to explore the relationship between the sub-items of WAB and cognitive scores. The classification rate of CI was tested by Pearson’s Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. Results The scores of aphasia quotient (AQ), MoCA, MMSE, and NLCA in NFA were lower than FA. AQ was positively correlated with MoCA, MMSE, and NLCA scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis suggested that naming explained 70.7% of variance of MoCA and 79.9% of variance of MMSE; comprehension explained 46.7% of variance of NLCA. In the same type of PSA, there was no significant difference in the classification rate. The classification rate of CI in NFA by MoCA and MMSE was higher than that in FA. There was no significant difference in the classification rate of CI between FA and NFA by NLCA. Conclusion MoCA, MMSE, and NLCA can be applied in FA. NLCA is recommended for NFA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Yan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Shuo Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongshuai Wei
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyuan He
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chong Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongli Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengye Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingna Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Yang,
| | - Jie Jia
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Jie Jia,
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Masson-Trottier M, Dash T, Berroir P, Ansaldo AI. French Phonological Component Analysis and aphasia recovery: A bilingual perspective on behavioral and structural data. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:752121. [PMID: 36211123 PMCID: PMC9535680 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.752121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies show bilingualism entails an advantage in cognitive control tasks. There is evidence of a bilingual advantage in the context of aphasia, resulting in better cognitive outcomes and recovery in bilingual persons with aphasia compared to monolingual peers. This bilingual advantage also results in structural changes in the right hemisphere gray matter. Very few studies have examined the so-called bilingual advantage by reference to specific anomia therapy efficacy. This study aims to compare the effect of French-Phonological Component Analysis (Fr-PCA) in monolinguals and bilingual persons with aphasia, both at the linguistic and cognitive control level, and to examine the structural impact of left hemisphere lesion location and right hemisphere structural data. Eight participants with chronic aphasia received Fr-PCA for a total of 15 h over 5 weeks. The results showed improved accuracy for treated words and generalization to untreated items and discourse in both groups, and improved Flanker task performance for some participants. Bilingual participants improved more than monolinguals for picture-naming tasks and narrative discourse. Damage to the left postcentral gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus was associated with less therapy-induced improvement. Additionally, left hemisphere damage to the inferior parietal gyrus and postcentral gyrus was associated with reduced cognitive control pre-therapy. Undamaged right hemisphere cortical thicknesses were significantly different between groups; the inferior frontal gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus were greater for the bilingual participants and correlated with cognitive control skills. These results suggest a bilingual advantage in anomia recovery following Fr-PCA, potentially resulting from enhanced cognitive control abilities that could be supported by right hemisphere neural reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle Masson-Trottier
- Laboratoire de Plasticité Cérébrale, Communication et Vieillissement, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- École d’Orthophonie et d’Audiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Tanya Dash
- Laboratoire de Plasticité Cérébrale, Communication et Vieillissement, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Berroir
- Laboratoire de Plasticité Cérébrale, Communication et Vieillissement, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ana Inés Ansaldo
- Laboratoire de Plasticité Cérébrale, Communication et Vieillissement, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- École d’Orthophonie et d’Audiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Ana Inés Ansaldo,
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Pisano F, Manfredini A, Castellano A, Caltagirone C, Marangolo P. Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1265. [PMID: 36139001 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches in aphasia rehabilitation have recently identified the crucial role of executive functions (EFs) in language recovery, especially for people with severe aphasia (PWSA). Indeed, EFs include high-order cognitive abilities such as planning and problem solving, which enable humans to adapt to novel situations and are essential for everyday functional communication. In a randomized double-blind crossover design, twenty chronic Italian PWSA underwent ten days of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (20 min, 2 mA) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Two conditions were considered, i.e., anodal and sham, while performing four types of cognitive training (alertness, selective attention, visuo-spatial working memory, and planning), all of which were related to executive functions. After anodal tDCS, a greater improvement in selective attention, visuospatial working memory and planning abilities was found compared to the sham condition; this improvement persisted one month after the intervention. Importantly, a significant improvement was also observed in functional communication, as measured through the Communication Activities of Daily Living Scale, in noun and verb naming, in auditory and written language comprehension tasks and in executive function abilities. This evidence emphasizes, for the first time, that tDCS over the right DLPFC combined with executive training enhances functional communication in severe aphasia.
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Jungblut M, Mais C, Binkofski FC, Schüppen A. The efficacy of a directed rhythmic-melodic voice training in the treatment of chronic non-fluent aphasia-Behavioral and imaging results. J Neurol 2022; 269:5070-5084. [PMID: 35604466 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11163-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a directed rhythmic-melodic voice training (SIPARI) compared to language therapy with the focus on improvement in expressive linguistic performance. 20 patients suffering from chronic non-fluent aphasia, allocated by coin tossing to either of the groups, participated in 32 single therapy sessions over a period of 4 months. Before and after therapy, independent testers performed a standardized language test (Aachener Aphasie Test). Behavioral assessments revealed that improvements of patients of the experimental group were clinically significant compared to those of the control group. These improvements concerned the description level articulation and prosody for spontaneous speech and the subtests repetition, naming, and comprehension. Based on these improvements, a significant increase in profile level (effect size (ES) = 2.028, p < 0.001) was assessed, an overall and clinically relevant measure of the severity of aphasia. Additional fMRI examinations yielded activation in the left superior frontal gyrus for the post-minus pre- therapy assessments only for participants of the experimental group. Since this brain region is reported to be particularly involved in executive processing, we assume that the directed procedure of the SIPARI treatment with regard to musical, linguistic, and cognitive function potentially holds the key for successful language rehabilitation. While our imaging results hint at a possible explanation for its efficacy, our behavioral results corroborate the efficacy of this therapy in the treatment of chronic non-fluent aphasia patients. DRKS00026730, 19.10.21, retrospectively registered https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00026730.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Jungblut
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Music- and Speech-Therapy, Am Lipkamp 14, 47269, Duisburg, Germany.
| | - Christiane Mais
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Music- and Speech-Therapy, Am Lipkamp 14, 47269, Duisburg, Germany
- Aphasia Center North Rhine Westphalia, Essen, Germany
| | | | - André Schüppen
- Clinical Cognition Research, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research - Brain Imaging Facility, University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
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10
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Stampacchia S, Hallam GP, Thompson HE, Nathaniel U, Lanzoni L, Smallwood J, Lambon Ralph MA, Jefferies E. Training flexible conceptual retrieval in post-stroke aphasia. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2022; 32:1429-1455. [PMID: 33715583 PMCID: PMC7614451 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2021.1895847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Semantic therapy in post-stroke aphasia typically focusses on strengthening links between conceptual representations and their lexical-articulatory forms to aid word retrieval. However, research has shown that semantic deficits in this group can affect both verbal and non-verbal tasks, particularly in patients with deregulated retrieval as opposed to degraded knowledge. This study, therefore, aimed to facilitate semantic cognition in a sample of such patients with post-stroke semantic aphasia (SA) by training the identification of both strong and weak semantic associations and providing explicit pictorial feedback that demonstrated both common and more unusual ways of linking concepts together. We assessed the effects of this training on (i) trained and untrained items; and (ii) trained and untrained tasks in eleven individuals with SA. In the training task, the SA group showed improvement with practice, particularly for trained items. A similar untrained task using pictorial stimuli (Camel and Cactus Test) also improved. Together, these results suggest that semantic training can be beneficial in patients with SA and may show some degree of generalization to untrained situations. Future research should seek to understand which patients are most likely to benefit from this type of training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Stampacchia
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK.,Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Innovative Molecular Tracers (NIMTlab), Geneva University Neurocenter and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Glyn P Hallam
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK.,Department of Psychology, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | | | - Upasana Nathaniel
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK.,Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lucilla Lanzoni
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK.,Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
| | | | - Elizabeth Jefferies
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK
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11
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Kristensson J, Saldert C, Östberg P, Smith SR, Åke S, Longoni F. Naming vs. non-naming treatment in aphasia in a group setting-A randomized controlled trial. J Commun Disord 2022; 97:106215. [PMID: 35367876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anomia affects numerous persons with aphasia. Treatment effects of anomia group therapy have been reported, but the evidence is not comprehensive. This study aimed to explore treatment effects of a naming treatment compared with a non-naming treatment delivered in a group setting. METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, 17 participants with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent group therapy, 2 hours a session, 3 times per week, for a total of 20 hours. The treatment given in the naming group was modified semantic feature analysis (SFA). Treatment content in the non-naming group comprised auditory comprehension, copying text, and reading. The primary outcome measure was accuracy in confrontation naming of participant-selected trained nouns and verbs. Generalization effects were evaluated in single-word naming, connected speech, and everyday communication. RESULTS Participants in both groups significantly improved their naming of trained items. There were no differences between the groups. The treatment effect did not remain at follow-up 10 weeks after therapy. No other statistically significant changes occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS Group intervention can improve naming ability in individuals with chronic aphasia. However, similar treatment effects can be achieved using a non-naming treatment as using a naming treatment, such as modified SFA. Further research is warranted to identify the most important elements of anomia group therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Kristensson
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Department of Health and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, PO Box 452, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Charlotta Saldert
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Department of Health and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, PO Box 452, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Per Östberg
- Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Medical Unit Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Signe Rödseth Smith
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Department of Health and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, PO Box 452, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sabina Åke
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Department of Health and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, PO Box 452, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Francesca Longoni
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Department of Health and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, PO Box 452, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
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12
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Schumacher R, Halai AD, Lambon Ralph MA. Assessing executive functions in post-stroke aphasia-utility of verbally based tests. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac107. [PMID: 35602650 PMCID: PMC9118101 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It is increasingly acknowledged that, often, patients with post-stroke aphasia not only have language impairments but also deficits in other cognitive domains (e.g. executive functions) that influence recovery and response to therapy. Many assessments of executive functions are verbally based and therefore usually not administered in this patient group. However, the performance of patients with aphasia in such tests might provide valuable insights both from a theoretical and clinical perspective. We aimed to elucidate (i) if verbal executive tests measure anything beyond the language impairment in patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia, (ii) how performance in such tests relates to performance in language tests and nonverbal cognitive functions, and (iii) the neural correlates associated with performance in verbal executive tests. In this observational study, three commonly used verbal executive tests were administered to a sample of patients with varying aphasia severity. Their performance in these tests was explored by means of principal component analyses, and the relationships with a broad range of background tests regarding their language and nonverbal cognitive functions were elucidated with correlation analyses. Furthermore, lesion analyses were performed to explore brain-behaviour relationships. In a sample of 32 participants, we found that: (i) a substantial number of patients with aphasia were able to perform the verbal executive tests; (ii) variance in performance was not explained by the severity of an individual's overall language impairment alone but was related to two independent behavioural principal components per test; (iii) not all aspects of performance were related to the patient's language abilities; and (iv) all components were associated with separate neural correlates, some overlapping partly in frontal and parietal regions. Our findings extend our clinical and theoretical understanding of dysfunctions beyond language in patients with aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Schumacher
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ajay D. Halai
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A. Lambon Ralph
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
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13
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Gilmore N, Mirman D, Kiran S. Young Adults With Acquired Brain Injury Show Longitudinal Improvements in Cognition After Intensive Cognitive Rehabilitation. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2022; 65:1494-1520. [PMID: 35290740 PMCID: PMC9499382 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an intensive cognitive and communication rehabilitation (ICCR) program on language and other cognitive performance in young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI). METHOD Thirty young adults with chronic ABI participated in this study. Treatment participants (n = 22) attended ICCR 6 hours/day, 4 days/week for at least one 12-week semester. Deferred treatment/usual care control participants (n = 14) were evaluated before and after at least one 12-week semester. Pre- and postsemester standardized cognitive assessment items were assigned to subdomains. Between-groups and within-group generalized linear mixed-effects models assessed the effect of time point on overall item accuracy and differences by item subdomain. Subdomain analyses were adjusted for multiple comparisons. RESULTS Between-groups analyses revealed that treatment participants improved significantly faster over time than deferred treatment/usual care participants in overall item accuracy and specifically on items in the verbal expression subdomain. Investigating the three-way interaction between time point, group, and etiology revealed that the overall effects of the treatment were similar for individuals with nontraumatic and traumatic brain injuries. The treatment group showed an overall effect of treatment and significant gains over time in the verbal expression, written expression, memory, and problem solving subdomains. The control group did not significantly improve over time on overall item accuracy and showed significant subdomain-level gains in auditory comprehension, which did not survive correction. CONCLUSIONS Sustaining an ABI in young adulthood can significantly disrupt key developmental milestones, such as attending college and launching a career. This study provides strong evidence that integrating impairment-based retraining of language and other cognitive skills with "real-world" application in academically focused activities promotes gains in underlying cognitive processes that are important for academic success as measured by standardized assessment items. These findings may prompt a revision to the current continuum of rehabilitative care for young adults with ABI. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19320068.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Gilmore
- Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, MA
| | - Daniel Mirman
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, MA
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14
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Meier EL, Kelly CR, Goldberg EB, Hillis AE. Executive control deficits and lesion correlates in acute left hemisphere stroke survivors with and without aphasia. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:868-877. [PMID: 34647269 PMCID: PMC8514281 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00580-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to the traditional definition of the disorder, many individuals with aphasia exhibit non-linguistic cognitive impairments, including executive control deficits. Classic lesion studies cite frontal lobe damage in executive dysfunction, but more recent lesion symptom-mapping studies in chronic aphasia present mixed results. In this study, we compared executive control abilities of acute stroke survivors with and without aphasia and investigated lesion correlates of linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive tasks. Twenty-nine participants with acute left hemisphere stroke resulting in aphasia (n = 14) or no aphasia (n = 15) completed clinical MRI and testing, including three NIH Toolbox Cognition Batteries (Pattern Comparison Processing Speed, Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention, and Dimensional Change Card Sort Tests) and the Boston Naming Test. We compared performance between groups using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. We used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression to identify neural markers (percent regional damage, hypoperfusion within vascular territories, and total lesion volume) of executive control deficits and anomia. Group performance was comparable on the Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Test, but people with aphasia had poorer standard scores, lower accuracy, and slower response times on the Dimensional Change Card Sort Test than people without aphasia. Damage to extrasylvian regions (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, intraparietal sulcus) was related to executive control deficits, whereas language network damage (to inferior frontal and superior and posterior middle temporal gyri) was linked to naming impairments. These results suggest people with aphasia can exhibit comorbid executive control impairments linked to damage outside classic language network areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Meier
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 228C FR, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Catherine R Kelly
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Emily B Goldberg
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Argye E Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Menahemi-Falkov M, Breitenstein C, Pierce JE, Hill AJ, O'Halloran R, Rose ML. A systematic review of maintenance following intensive therapy programs in chronic post-stroke aphasia: importance of individual response analysis. Disabil Rehabil 2021; 44:5811-5826. [PMID: 34383614 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1955303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent evidence supports the benefit of intensive aphasia intervention programs for people with chronic aphasia, yet it is unclear if all participants can expect positive outcomes and for how long therapeutic gains last. METHODS We systematically searched for studies investigating intensive interventions in chronic aphasia. To explore individual response rates and maintenance of therapeutic gains we carried out meta-synthesis by calculating and analysing the Standard Error of Measurement and Minimal Detectable Change metrics of six common outcome measures. RESULTS Forty-four studies comprising 24 experimental (13 group, 11 single-subject) and 20 non-experimental studies met our inclusion criteria (n = 670). Whereas most group studies reported statistically significant post-therapy improvement and maintenance, analysis of individual participant data (IPD, n = 393) from these studies revealed that only about a third of participants were classified as "immediate responders," of which more than a third had lost their initial immediate gains at follow-up. This pattern did not change when IPD from single-subject studies (n = 49) was added to the analysis. Thus, only 22% of all IPD receiving an intensive intervention improved significantly and maintained their therapy gains. CONCLUSIONS Intensive aphasia therapy is effective when measured at the group-level, but many individuals do not respond significantly to the intervention, and even fewer individuals preserve their initial gains. Group study results do not allow prediction of an individual's response to the intervention. Future research should elucidate which factors mediate positive treatment response and maintenance for an individual.Implications for rehabilitationOnly a small proportion (about one fifth in this review) of intensive aphasia treatment program participants respond and maintain their therapy gains, a fact that is obscured by traditional p-value group analysis.A simple clinical decision-making method is presented for evaluating individual therapy gains and their maintenance.For some immediate treatment responders (about one third in this review), gains from intensive therapy programs are unlikely to be maintained in the long-term without additional, ongoing practice.Clinicians should consider the possibility of individual clients losing some of their therapy gains and take proactive steps to support long-term maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Menahemi-Falkov
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caterina Breitenstein
- Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - John E Pierce
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anne J Hill
- Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Research in Telerehabilitation, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robyn O'Halloran
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Miranda L Rose
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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16
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Spitzer L, Binkofski F, Willmes K, Bruehl S. The novel cognitive flexibility in aphasia therapy (CFAT): A combined treatment of aphasia and executive functions to improve communicative success. Int J Speech Lang Pathol 2021; 23:168-179. [PMID: 32354234 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2020.1757152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Over and above language deficits, persons with aphasia can present with impairments in executive functions, including deficits in cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility constitutes the ability to update behaviour quickly and flexibly in a changing environment. Its deficits can restrict communicative ability, e. g. the ability to change a topic. To date, these deficits have been neglected in aphasia therapy, even though their consideration regarding language treatment may be beneficial for the persons affected. The present study aimed to evaluate whether aphasia therapy including cognitive flexibility leads to more improvement than conventional aphasia therapy. METHOD A pilot group study with ten patients was conducted. The patients received both the novel Cognitive Flexibility in Aphasia Therapy (CFAT) and conventional aphasia therapy in a cross-over design. Each therapy method was delivered for 20 sessions within two weeks. An assessment battery was applied five times, including language skills, communicative ability and verbal/nonverbal cognitive flexibility. RESULT Patients profited from CFAT regarding language skills, communicative ability and verbal cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, compared to conventional therapy, CFAT was more effective for verbal cognitive flexibility. CONCLUSION This pilot study indicates that CFAT offers a novel opportunity to directly train cognitive flexibility in communicative settings and complements conventional therapy for optimal patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Spitzer
- Clinical and Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ferdinand Binkofski
- Clinical and Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Willmes
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bruehl
- Clinical and Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- St. Mauritius Rehabilitation Centre, Meerbusch, Germany, and
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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17
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Choinski M, Szelag E, Wolak T, Szymaszek A. Working Memory in Aphasia: The Role of Temporal Information Processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:589802. [PMID: 33424565 PMCID: PMC7786198 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.589802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia is an acquired impairment of language functions resulting from a brain lesion. It is usually accompanied by deficits in non-linguistic cognitive processes. This study aimed to investigate in patients with aphasia the complex interrelationships between selected cognitive functions: auditory speech comprehension, working memory (WM), and temporal information processing (TIP) in the millisecond time range. Thirty right-handed subjects (20 males) aged from 27 to 82 years suffering from post-stroke aphasia participated in the study. Verbal working memory (VWM) and spatial working memory (SWM) were assessed with: (1) a receptive verbal test and (2) the Corsi Block-Tapping Test, respectively. Both these WM tests used the forward tasks (mainly engaging maintenance processes, i.e., storing, monitoring, and matching information) and backward tasks (engaging both maintenance and manipulation processes, i.e., reordering and updating information). Auditory comprehension was assessed by receptive language tests, and TIP efficiency was assessed by auditory perception of temporal order in the millisecond time range. We observed better performance of forward WM tasks than backward ones, independently of the type of material used. Furthermore, the severity of auditory comprehension impairment correlated with the efficiency on both forward and backward VWM tasks and the backward SWM task. Further analysis revealed that TIP plays a crucial role only in the latter task. These results indicate the divergent pattern of interactions between WM and TIP depending on the type of WM tasks. Level of verbal competency appeared to play an important role in both VWM tasks, whereas TIP (which is associated with manipulation processes) appeared to be important for SWM, but only on the backward task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Choinski
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Szelag
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Kajetany, Poland
| | - Aneta Szymaszek
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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18
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Olsson C, Arvidsson P, Blom Johansson M. What do people respond to when rating executive function? - a cognitive interviewing investigation of BRIEF-A informant ratings in severe aphasia. Disabil Rehabil 2020; 44:2930-2940. [PMID: 33270466 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1849418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Executive dysfunction is common in persons with severe aphasia. Assessing these functions in this population is challenging. Informant ratings, such as the BRIEF-A, might be a useful alternative to neuropsychological tests. However, research has shown weak relationships between tests and ratings. The aim of this study was to understand how significant others of people with severe aphasia interpret and respond to questions about executive function in the informant report version of BRIEF-A. METHODS Eleven significant others were interviewed about a subset of the BRIEF-A items, using cognitive interviewing. Interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. RESULTS There was variation in the interpretation of the items of BRIEF-A which frequently corrupted the items' relation to what it was intended to measure. Further, informants wavered between considering the person with aphasias' ability or actual performance and many had lowered their expectations. The language problems caused by the aphasia affected the validity of some items. CONCLUSIONS The quantitative results of BRIEF-A informant ratings should be interpreted with caution, since it is unclear to what extent the responses represent executive function. The use of informant ratings does not solve the problem with aphasia being a confounding factor in assessment of executive function.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAssessing executive function in people with severe aphasia is important but challenging.Quantitative results of informant ratings of executive function, such as BRIEF-A, in this population should be interpreted with caution, since it is unclear to what extent the ratings represent executive function.Using informant ratings does not solve the problem of the aphasia being a confounding factor, since the aphasia impacts on the validity of some of the items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Olsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Speech-Language Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrik Arvidsson
- Centre for Research and Development, Uppsala University/Region Gävleborg, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Monica Blom Johansson
- Department of Neuroscience, Speech-Language Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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19
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Schumacher R, Bruehl S, Halai AD, Lambon Ralph MA. The verbal, non-verbal and structural bases of functional communication abilities in aphasia. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa118. [PMID: 33215082 PMCID: PMC7660039 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to communicate, functionally, after stroke or other types of acquired brain injury is crucial for the person involved and the people around them. Accordingly, assessment of functional communication is increasingly used in large-scale randomized controlled trials as the primary outcome measure. Despite the importance of functional communication abilities to everyday life and their centrality to the measured efficacy of aphasia interventions, there is little knowledge about how commonly used measures of functional communication relate to each other, whether they capture and grade the full range of patients’ remaining communication skills and how these abilities relate to the patients’ verbal and non-verbal impairments as well as the underpinning lesions. Going beyond language-only factors is essential given that non-verbal abilities can play a crucial role in an individual’s ability to communicate effectively. This study, based on a large sample of patients covering the full range and types of post-stroke aphasia, addressed these important, open questions. The investigation combined data from three established measures of functional communication with a thorough assessment of verbal and non-verbal cognition as well as structural neuroimaging. The key findings included: (i) due to floor or ceiling effects, the full range of patients’ functional communication abilities was not captured by a single assessment alone, limiting the utility of adopting individual tests as outcome measures in randomized controlled trials; (ii) phonological abilities were most strongly related to all measures of functional communication and (iii) non-verbal cognition was particularly crucial when language production was relatively impaired and other modes of communication were allowed, when patients rated their own communication abilities, and when carers rated patients’ basic communication abilities. Finally, in addition to lesion load being significantly related to all measures of functional communication, lesion analyses showed partially overlapping clusters in language regions for the functional communication tests. Moreover, mirroring the findings from the regression analyses, additional regions previously associated with non-verbal cognition emerged for the Scenario Test and for the Patient Communication Outcome after Stroke rating scale. In conclusion, our findings elucidated the cognitive and neural bases of functional communication abilities, which may inform future clinical practice regarding assessments and therapy. In particular, it is necessary to use more than one measure to capture the full range and multifaceted nature of patients’ functional communication abilities and a therapeutic focus on non-verbal cognition might have positive effects on this important aspect of activity and participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Schumacher
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK.,Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Bruehl
- St Mauritius Rehabilitation Centre, 40670 Meerbusch, Germany.,Clinical and Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ajay D Halai
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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20
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Harvey S, Carragher M, Dickey MW, Pierce JE, Rose ML. Dose effects in behavioural treatment of post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Disabil Rehabil 2020; 44:2548-2559. [PMID: 33164590 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1843079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Aphasia is a debilitating chronic acquired language disorder that impacts heavily on a person's life. Behavioural treatments aim to remediate language processing skills or to enhance communication between the person with aphasia and others, and a number of different treatments are efficacious. However, it is unclear how much of a particular treatment a person needs in order to optimise recovery of language and communication skills following stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS Systematic search for and meta-analysis of experimental studies that directly compared different amounts of the same behavioural aphasia treatment, following PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS Treatment dose research in aphasia is an emerging area. Just six studies comparing different doses of the same intervention met all criteria for inclusion. Evidence from these studies was synthesised and meta-analysed, where possible. Meta-analyses were inconclusive due to limited data; however, there are indications that suggest increased dose may confer greater improvement on language and communication measures, but with diminishing returns over time. Aphasia severity and chronicity may affect dose-response relationships. CONCLUSIONS There is currently insufficient evidence to determine the effect of dose on treatment response. A dedicated and coordinated research agenda is required to systematically explore dose-response relationships in post-stroke aphasia interventions.A video abstract is available in the Supplementary Material.Implications for rehabilitationThe investigation of the effect of dose on treatment outcomes in post-stroke aphasia is an emerging research area with few studies reporting comparison of different amounts of the same intervention.In the acute phase of recovery following stroke, higher doses of treatment provided over short periods may not be preferable, tolerable, or superior to lower doses of the same treatment.In the chronic phase, providing additional blocks of treatment may confer additional benefit for some people with aphasia but with diminishing returns.People with chronic aphasia can achieve and maintain significant gains in picture naming after a relatively brief period of high-dose treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Harvey
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Marcella Carragher
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Michael Walsh Dickey
- Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, Bundoora, Australia.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - John E Pierce
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Miranda L Rose
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, Bundoora, Australia
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21
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Yao J, Liu X, Liu Q, Wang J, Ye N, Lu X, Zhao Y, Chen H, Han Z, Yu M, Wang Y, Liu G, Zhang Y. Characteristics of Non-linguistic Cognitive Impairment in Post-stroke Aphasia Patients. Front Neurol 2020; 11:1038. [PMID: 33117251 PMCID: PMC7561418 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Non-linguistic cognitive training has been suggested to improve the communication skills of patients with post-stroke aphasia (PSA). However, the association between language and non-linguistic cognitive functions is not fully understood. In this study, we used the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) to evaluate the characteristics of non-linguistic cognitive impairments in Chinese PSA patients. Methods: A total of 86 stroke patients were recruited in this study. Language and non-linguistic cognitive impairments were evaluated by the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and LOTCA, respectively. The patients were divided into two groups (PSA and non-PSA), and the Chinese norm (the data came from 44 Chinese individuals without neurological disorders in a previous study) was used as the control group. The LOTCA scores were compared among the three groups. Patients in the PSA group were subdivided into the fluent aphasia group (FAG) and the non-FAG according to the Chinese aphasia fluency characteristic scale. The LOTCA scores were also compared between the PSA subdivisions. Potential confounders were adjusted in the analysis of covariance. Partial correlation analysis between the subscores of WAB and LOTCA was also performed. Results: The total LOTCA scores in the PSA group (75.11 ± 17.08) were significantly lower compared with scores in the non-PSA (96.80 ± 7.75, P < 0.001) and the control group (97.65 ± 16.24, P < 0.001). The PSA group also had lower orientation, visual perception (VP), spatial perception (SP), visuomotor organization, thinking operation, and attention scores. The total LOTCA, orientation, VP, SP, and MP scores were lower in the non-FAG (69.24 ± 18.06, 8.62 ± 5.09, 12.76 ± 2.47, 7.48 ± 3.01, and 9.62 ± 2.25, respectively) compared with the FAG (80.36 ± 14.07, 12.14 ± 3.99, 14.09 ± 1.93, 9.68 ± 3.01, 10.55 ± 1.63, respectively, P's < 0.05). The aphasia quotient was positively correlated with the total score of LOTCA and scores of orientation, VP, SP, and MP (r = 0.710, 0.744, 0.565, 0.597, and 0.616; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared with stroke patients without aphasia, patients with PSA often have more extensive and serious non-linguistic cognitive impairments. Patients with non-fluent aphasia often present with serious cognitive impairments than those with fluent aphasia, especially the impairments of orientation and SP. Non-linguistic cognitive impairments correlate with language impairments in aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfan Yao
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Beijing Office for Cerebrovascular Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China
| | - Xinxin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfang Wang
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of the Yang Tze River Shipping, Wuhan Brain Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Na Ye
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yishuang Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- Department of Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- State Key Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Miaoxin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Gaifen Liu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Beijing Office for Cerebrovascular Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China
| | - Yumei Zhang
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Sun M, Zhan Z, Chen B, Xin J, Chen X, Yu E, Lin L, He R, Pan X. Development and application of a Chinese Version of the Language Screening Test (CLAST) in post-stroke patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e22165. [PMID: 32925781 PMCID: PMC7489636 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000022165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia shows high incidence in stroke patients and seriously impairs language comprehension, verbal communication, and social activities. Therefore, screening aphasic patients during the acute phase of stroke is crucial for language recovery and rehabilitation. The present study developed a Chinese version of the Language Screening Test (CLAST) and validated it in post-stroke patients.The CLAST was adapted from the Language Screening Test developed by Constance et al to incorporate Chinese cultural and linguistic specificities, and administered to 207 acute stroke patients and 89 stabilized aphasic or non-aphasic patients. Based on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) test, its reliability and validity were assessed. A cut-off for the CLAST in Chinese patients was determined by ROC curve analysis.The CLAST comprised 5 subtests and 15 items, including 2 subscores, namely expression (8 points, assessing naming, repetition, and automatic speech) and receptive (7 points maximum, evaluating picture recognition, and verbal instructions) indexes. Analysis of the alternate-form reliability of the questionnaire showed a retest correlation coefficient of 0.945 (P < .001). Intraclass correlation coefficients of three rating teams were >0.98 (P < .001). Internal consistency analysis showed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.909 (P < .001). The non-aphasia group showed higher scores than the aphasia group (14.2 ± 1.3 vs 10.6 ± 3.8) (P < .01). The questionnaire showed good construct validity by factor analysis. ROC curve analysis showed high sensitivity and specificity for the CLAST, with a cut-off of 13.5.The CLAST is suitable for Chinese post-stroke patients during the acute phase, with high reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyao Sun
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Fujian Provincial Hospital
| | - Zhouwei Zhan
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital and Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Bijuan Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital and Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jiawei Xin
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
| | - Xiaochun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University
| | - Erhan Yu
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
| | - Lizhen Lin
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
| | - Raoli He
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
| | - Xiaodong Pan
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University
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Yao J, Liu X, Lu X, Xu C, Chen H, Zhang Y. Changes in white matter microstructure related to non-linguistic cognitive impairment in post-stroke aphasia. Neurol Res 2020; 42:640-648. [PMID: 32697169 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2020.1795578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTS Post-stroke aphasia (PSA) often have non-linguistic cognitive impairment. We aimed to ascertain its characteristics of non-linguistic cognitive impairment and the corresponding changes in white matter microstructures. METHODS Ten patients with PSA and 17 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment (LOTCA) were used to assess non-linguistic cognitive function. Summary T-test was performed to compare the LOTCA scores between PSA and the Chinese norm. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD) after collecting diffusion tensor imaging data. Correlation analysis was performed between these metrics and LOTCA scores. RESULTS The days after stroke onset of PSA was 428.0±52.0. The total LOTCA score of PSA (78.20±22.63) was lower than the Chinese norm (97.65±16.24, P=0.003), as well as the scores of orientation, spatial perception (SP), motor praxis (MP), and attention (P<0.05). Lower FA and higher MD/RD in bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) were found in PSA compared with HCs. The MD and RD of the right uncinate fasciculus (UF) was negatively correlated with SP and MP scores (r=-0.787, r=-0.733, r=-0.726; P<0.05). The FA of left UF was negatively correlated with orientation score (r=-0.690, P=0.04). CONCLUSION Patients with PSA have non-linguistic cognitive impairment. The integrity of the white matter microstructures can be extensively damaged. Impaired SP and MP in patients with PSA are related to UF damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfan Yao
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China
| | - Xinxin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital , Tianjin, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China
| | - Yumei Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China.,Center of Stroke, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine for Cerebrovascular Disease , Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases , Beijing, China
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24
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Schumacher R, Halai AD, Lambon Ralph MA. Assessing and mapping language, attention and executive multidimensional deficits in stroke aphasia. Brain 2020; 142:3202-3216. [PMID: 31504247 PMCID: PMC6794940 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing awareness that aphasia following a stroke can include deficits in other cognitive functions and that these are predictive of certain aspects of language function, recovery and rehabilitation. However, data on attentional and executive (dys)functions in individuals with stroke aphasia are still scarce and the relationship to underlying lesions is rarely explored. Accordingly in this investigation, an extensive selection of standardized non-verbal neuropsychological tests was administered to 38 individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia, in addition to detailed language testing and MRI. To establish the core components underlying the variable patients’ performance, behavioural data were explored with rotated principal component analyses, first separately for the non-verbal and language tests, then in a combined analysis including all tests. Three orthogonal components for the non-verbal tests were extracted, which were interpreted as shift-update, inhibit-generate and speed. Three components were also extracted for the language tests, representing phonology, semantics and speech quanta. Individual continuous scores on each component were then included in a voxel-based correlational methodology analysis, yielding significant clusters for all components. The shift-update component was associated with a posterior left temporo-occipital and bilateral medial parietal cluster, the inhibit-generate component was mainly associated with left frontal and bilateral medial frontal regions, and the speed component with several small right-sided fronto-parieto-occipital clusters. Two complementary multivariate brain-behaviour mapping methods were also used, which showed converging results. Together the results suggest that a range of brain regions are involved in attention and executive functioning, and that these non-language domains play a role in the abilities of patients with chronic aphasia. In conclusion, our findings confirm and extend our understanding of the multidimensionality of stroke aphasia, emphasize the importance of assessing non-verbal cognition in this patient group and provide directions for future research and clinical practice. We also briefly compare and discuss univariate and multivariate methods for brain-behaviour mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Schumacher
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ajay D Halai
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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25
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Diachek E, Blank I, Siegelman M, Affourtit J, Fedorenko E. The Domain-General Multiple Demand (MD) Network Does Not Support Core Aspects of Language Comprehension: A Large-Scale fMRI Investigation. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4536-4550. [PMID: 32317387 PMCID: PMC7275862 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2036-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aside from the language-selective left-lateralized frontotemporal network, language comprehension sometimes recruits a domain-general bilateral frontoparietal network implicated in executive functions: the multiple demand (MD) network. However, the nature of the MD network's contributions to language comprehension remains debated. To illuminate the role of this network in language processing in humans, we conducted a large-scale fMRI investigation using data from 30 diverse word and sentence comprehension experiments (481 unique participants [female and male], 678 scanning sessions). In line with prior findings, the MD network was active during many language tasks. Moreover, similar to the language-selective network, which is robustly lateralized to the left hemisphere, these responses were stronger in the left-hemisphere MD regions. However, in contrast with the language-selective network, the MD network responded more strongly (1) to lists of unconnected words than to sentences, and (2) in paradigms with an explicit task compared with passive comprehension paradigms. Indeed, many passive comprehension tasks failed to elicit a response above the fixation baseline in the MD network, in contrast to strong responses in the language-selective network. Together, these results argue against a role for the MD network in core aspects of sentence comprehension, such as inhibiting irrelevant meanings or parses, keeping intermediate representations active in working memory, or predicting upcoming words or structures. These results align with recent evidence of relatively poor tracking of the linguistic signal by the MD regions during naturalistic comprehension, and instead suggest that the MD network's engagement during language processing reflects effort associated with extraneous task demands.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Domain-general executive processes, such as working memory and cognitive control, have long been implicated in language comprehension, including in neuroimaging studies that have reported activation in domain-general multiple demand (MD) regions for linguistic manipulations. However, much prior evidence has come from paradigms where language interpretation is accompanied by extraneous tasks. Using a large fMRI dataset (30 experiments/481 participants/678 sessions), we demonstrate that MD regions are engaged during language comprehension in the presence of task demands, but not during passive reading/listening, conditions that strongly activate the frontotemporal language network. These results present a fundamental challenge to proposals whereby linguistic computations, such as inhibiting irrelevant meanings, keeping representations active in working memory, or predicting upcoming elements, draw on domain-general executive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia Diachek
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
| | - Idan Blank
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Matthew Siegelman
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| | - Josef Affourtit
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
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26
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Olsson C, Arvidsson P, Blom Johansson M. Measuring executive function in people with severe aphasia: Comparing neuropsychological tests and informant ratings. NeuroRehabilitation 2020; 46:299-310. [DOI: 10.3233/nre-192998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Olsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrik Arvidsson
- Centre for Research and Development, Uppsala University/Region Gävleborg, Gävle, Sweden
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27
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Abstract
Executive control (EC) ability is increasingly emerging as an important predictor of post-stroke aphasia recovery. This study examined whether EC predicted immediate treatment gains, treatment maintenance and generalization after naming therapy in ten adults with mild to severe chronic post-stroke aphasia. Performance on multiple EC tasks allowed for the creation of composite scores for common EC, and the EC processes of shifting, inhibition and working memory (WM) updating. Participants were treated three times a week for five weeks with a phonological naming therapy; difference scores in naming accuracy of treated and untreated words (assessed pre, post, four- and eight-weeks after therapy) served as the primary outcome measures. Results from simple and multiple linear regressions indicate that individuals with better shifting and WM updating abilities demonstrated better maintenance of treated words at four-week follow-up, and those with better common EC demonstrated better maintenance of treated words at both four- and eight-week follow-ups. Better shifting ability also predicted better generalization to untreated words post-therapy. Measures of EC were not indicative of improvements on treated words immediately post-treatment, nor of generalization to untreated words at follow-up. Findings suggest that immediate treatment gains, maintenance and generalization may be supported by different underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Simic
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, Canada.,Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tali Bitan
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Psychology Department, IIPDM, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gary Turner
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Craig Chambers
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Devora Goldberg
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Carol Leonard
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, Canada.,School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Rochon
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, Canada.,Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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28
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to characterize further the nature of sentence processing deficits in acquired aphasia. Adults with aphasia and age-and education-matched adults with no brain damage completed a battery of formal cognitive-linguistic tests and an experimental sentence judgment task, which was performed alone and during focused attention and divided attention or dual-task conditions. The specific aims were to determine whether (a) increased extra-linguistic cognitive demands (i.e., focused and divided conditions) differentially affected the sentence judgement performances of the aphasic and control groups, (b) increased extra- linguistic cognitive demands interact with stimulus parameters (i.e., syntactic complexity, number of propositions) known to influence sentence processing, and (c) syntactic- or material specific resource limitations (e.g., sentence judgment in isolation), general cognitive abilities (e.g., short-term and working memory test scores), or both share a significant relationship with dual-task outcomes. Accuracy, grammatical sensitivity, and reaction time findings were consistent with resource models of aphasia and processing accounts of aphasic syntactic limitations, underscoring the theoretical and clinical importance of acknowledging and specifying the strength and nature of interactions between linguistic and extra-linguistic cognitive processes in not only individuals with aphasia, but also other patient and typical aging populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Murray
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Western University
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