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Han Y, Jing Y, Shi Y, Mo H, Wan Y, Zhou H, Deng F. The role of language-related functional brain regions and white matter tracts in network plasticity of post-stroke aphasia. J Neurol 2024; 271:3095-3115. [PMID: 38607432 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12358-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying language recovery after a stroke remain controversial. This review aimed to summarize the plasticity and reorganization mechanisms of the language network through neuroimaging studies. Initially, we discussed the involvement of right language homologues, perilesional tissue, and domain-general networks. Subsequently, we summarized the white matter functional mapping and remodeling mechanisms associated with language subskills. Finally, we explored how non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) promoted language recovery by inducing neural network plasticity. It was observed that the recruitment of right hemisphere language area homologues played a pivotal role in the early stages of frontal post-stroke aphasia (PSA), particularly in patients with larger lesions. Perilesional plasticity correlated with improved speech performance and prognosis. The domain-general networks could respond to increased "effort" in a task-dependent manner from the top-down when the downstream language network was impaired. Fluency, repetition, comprehension, naming, and reading skills exhibited overlapping and unique dual-pathway functional mapping models. In the acute phase, the structural remodeling of white matter tracts became challenging, with recovery predominantly dependent on cortical activation. Similar to the pattern of cortical activation, during the subacute and chronic phases, improvements in language functions depended, respectively, on the remodeling of right white matter tracts and the restoration of left-lateralized language structural network patterns. Moreover, the midline superior frontal gyrus/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex emerged as a promising target for NIBS. These findings offered theoretical insights for the early personalized treatment of aphasia after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Han
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jing
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanmin Shi
- Health Management (Physical Examination) Center, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongbin Mo
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yafei Wan
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Fang Deng
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Low TA, Chilvers MJ, Zhu H, Carlson HL, Harris AD, Goodyear BG, Dukelow SP. Structural network topology associated with naming improvements following intensive aphasia therapy in post-stroke aphasia. J Neurol Sci 2024; 462:123065. [PMID: 38820737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.123065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
A stroke can disrupt the finely tuned language network resulting in aphasia, a language impairment. Though many stroke survivors with aphasia recover within the first 6 months, a significant proportion have lasting deficits. The factors contributing to optimal treatment response remain unclear. Some evidence suggests that increased modularity or fragmentation of brain networks may underlie post-stroke aphasia severity and the extent of recovery. We examined associations between network organization and aphasia recovery in sixteen chronic stroke survivors with non-fluent aphasia following 35 h of Multi-Modality Aphasia Therapy over 10 days and 20 healthy controls who underwent imaging at a single timepoint. Using diffusion-weighted scans obtained before and after treatment, we constructed whole-brain structural connectomes representing the number of probabilistic streamlines between brain regions. Graph theory metrics were quantified for each connectome using the Brain Connectivity Toolbox. Correlations were examined between graph metrics and speech performance measured using the Boston Naming Test (BNT) at pre-, post- and 3-months post-intervention. Compared to controls, participants with stroke demonstrated higher whole-brain modularity at pre-treatment. Modularity did not differ between pre- and post-treatment. In individuals who responded to therapy, higher pre-treatment modularity was associated with worse performance on the BNT. Moreover, higher pre-treatment participation coefficients (i.e., how well a region is connected outside its own module) for the left IFG, planum temporale, and posterior temporal gyri were associated with greater improvements at post-treatment. These results suggest that pre-treatment network topology may impact therapeutic gains, highlighting the influence of network organization on post-stroke aphasia recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor A Low
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Matthew J Chilvers
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Harold Zhu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Helen L Carlson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ashley D Harris
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bradley G Goodyear
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sean P Dukelow
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Billot A, Kiran S. Disentangling neuroplasticity mechanisms in post-stroke language recovery. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 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] [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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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 AND LANGUAGE 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] [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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Billot A, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Parrish TB, Thompson CK, Rapp B, Caplan D, Kiran S. Structural disconnections associated with language impairments in chronic post-stroke aphasia using disconnectome maps. Cortex 2022; 155:90-106. [PMID: 35985126 PMCID: PMC9623824 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inconsistent findings have been reported about the impact of structural disconnections on language function in post-stroke aphasia. This study investigated patterns of structural disconnections associated with chronic language impairments using disconnectome maps. Seventy-six individuals with post-stroke aphasia underwent a battery of language assessments and a structural MRI scan. Support-vector regression disconnectome-symptom mapping analyses were performed to examine the correlations between disconnectome maps, representing the probability of disconnection at each white matter voxel and different language scores. To further understand whether significant disconnections were primarily representing focal damage or a more extended network of seemingly preserved but disconnected areas beyond the lesion site, results were qualitatively compared to support-vector regression lesion-symptom mapping analyses. Part of the left white matter perisylvian network was similarly disconnected in 90% of the individuals with aphasia. Surrounding this common left perisylvian disconnectome, specific structural disconnections in the left fronto-temporo-parietal network were significantly associated with aphasia severity and with lower performance in auditory comprehension, syntactic comprehension, syntactic production, repetition and naming tasks. Auditory comprehension, repetition and syntactic processing deficits were related to disconnections in areas that overlapped with and extended beyond lesion sites significant in SVR-LSM analyses. In contrast, overall language abilities as measured by aphasia severity and naming seemed to be mostly explained by focal damage at the level of the insular and central opercular cortices, given the high overlap between SVR-DSM and SVR-LSM results for these scores. While focal damage seems to be sufficient to explain broad measures of language performance, the structural disconnections between language areas provide additional information on the neural basis of specific and persistent language impairments at the chronic stage beyond lesion volume. Leveraging routinely available clinical data, disconnectome mapping furthers our understanding of anatomical connectivity constraints that may limit the recovery of some language abilities in chronic post-stroke aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Billot
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Todd B Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cynthia K Thompson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Brenda Rapp
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Caplan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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