1
|
Meier EL, Sheppard SM, Sebastian R, Berube S, Goldberg EB, Shea J, Stein CM, Hillis AE. Resting state correlates of picture description informativeness in left vs. right hemisphere chronic stroke. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1288801. [PMID: 38145117 PMCID: PMC10744570 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1288801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite a growing emphasis on discourse processing in clinical neuroscience, relatively little is known about the neurobiology of discourse production impairments. Individuals with a history of left or right hemisphere stroke can exhibit difficulty with communicating meaningful discourse content, which implies both cerebral hemispheres play a role in this skill. However, the extent to which successful production of discourse content relies on network connections within domain-specific vs. domain-general networks in either hemisphere is unknown. Methods In this study, 45 individuals with a history of either left or right hemisphere stroke completed resting state fMRI and the Cookie Theft picture description task. Results Participants did not differ in the total number of content units or the percentage of interpretative content units they produced. Stroke survivors with left hemisphere damage produced significantly fewer content units per second than individuals with right hemisphere stroke. Intrinsic connectivity of the left language network was significantly weaker in the left compared to the right hemisphere stroke group for specific connections. Greater efficiency of communication of picture scene content was associated with stronger left but weaker right frontotemporal connectivity of the language network in patients with a history of left hemisphere (but not right hemisphere) stroke. No significant relationships were found between picture description measures and connectivity of the dorsal attention, default mode, or salience networks or with connections between language and other network regions. Discussion These findings add to prior behavioral studies of picture description skills in stroke survivors and provide insight into the role of the language network vs. other intrinsic networks during discourse production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Meier
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shannon M. Sheppard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Rajani Sebastian
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shauna Berube
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Emily B. Goldberg
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Shea
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Colin M. Stein
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Argye E. Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Han L, Ke J, Zhang D, Ni B, Tao Y, Zhou Q, Zhu H, Fang Q. Altered functional connectivity in language and non-language brain networks in patients diagnosed with acute post-stroke aphasia. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2023; 235:108044. [PMID: 37951030 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.108044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) approach was used to explore functional connectivity (FC) in language and non-language brain networks in acute post-stroke aphasia (PSA) patients, with a specific focus on the relationship between these fMRI results and patient clinical presentation. METHODS In total, 20 acute PSA patients and 30 age-, sex-, and education level-matched healthy control (HC) participants were recruited and subjected to rs-fMRI imaging. In addition, western aphasia battery analyses(WAB) were used to compute aphasia quotient (AQ) values for PSA patients. Granger causality was employed to examine connections among cognition-associated resting-state brain networks, and the right middle frontal gyrus (RMFG),the mirror brain regions of Broca's area and the Wernicke's area, the right superior temporal gyrus were selected as regions of interest (ROIs). The REST plus software was then used to perform FC analyses of these regions to analyze changes in FC related to PSA pathogenesis. RESULTS Relative to HC individuals, PSA patients exhibited significantly higher levels of intra-network FC between the right middle frontal gyrus (RMFG) and the left middle occipital gyrus (LMOG), with such FC being positively correlated with the AQ scores (P = 0.018). Moreover, reduced FC was detected between the Broca's area homolog and the left middle frontal gyrus (LMFG), while FC was enhanced between the Wernicke's area homolog and cerebellar vermis, and this FC was similarly positively correlated with patient AQ scores (P = 0.0297). CONCLUSION These results suggest that FC between the bilateral hemispheres of the brain is significantly disrupted in acute PSA patients, interfering with the normal non-specific language network. Aphasia severity was further found to correlate with FC among many of the analyzed regions of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liying Han
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jun Ke
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Boye Ni
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tao
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qingqing Zhou
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hongjun Zhu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Qi Fang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Braun EJ, Billot A, Meier EL, Pan Y, Parrish TB, Kurani AS, Kiran S. White matter microstructural integrity pre- and post-treatment in individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 232:105163. [PMID: 35921727 PMCID: PMC9641951 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While previous studies have found that white matter damage relates to impairment severity in individuals with aphasia, further study is required to understand the relationship between white matter integrity and treatment response. In this study, 34 individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia underwent behavioral testing and structural magnetic resonance imaging at two timepoints. Thirty participants within this sample completed typicality-based semantic feature treatment for anomia. Tractography of bi-hemispheric white matter tracts was completed via Automated Fiber Quantification. Associations between microstructural integrity metrics and behavioral measures were evaluated at the tract level and in nodes along the tract. Diffusion measures of the left inferior longitudinal, superior longitudinal, and arcuate fasciculi were related to aphasia severity and diffusion measures of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus were related to naming and treatment response. This study also found preliminary evidence of left inferior longitudinal fasciculus microstructural changes following treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Braun
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Anne Billot
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02115, USA; School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin L Meier
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yue Pan
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Todd B Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 737 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ajay S Kurani
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marte MJ, Carpenter E, Falconer IB, Scimeca M, Abdollahi F, Peñaloza C, Kiran S. LEX-BADAT: Language EXperience in Bilinguals With and Without Aphasia DATaset. Front Psychol 2022; 13:875928. [PMID: 35769759 PMCID: PMC9234733 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Jose Marte
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Manuel Jose Marte
| | - Erin Carpenter
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Erin Carpenter
| | - Isaac B. Falconer
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael Scimeca
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fatemeh Abdollahi
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Claudia Peñaloza
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Varkanitsa M, Kiran S. Understanding, facilitating and predicting aphasia recovery after rehabilitation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2022; 24:248-259. [PMID: 35603543 PMCID: PMC9398975 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2022.2075036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: This paper reviews several studies whose aim was to understand the nature of language recovery in chronic aphasia and identify predictors of how people may recover their language functions after a brain injury.Method: Several studies that mostly draw from data collected within the Centre for Neurobiology of Language Recovery were reviewed and categorised in four aspects of language impairment and recovery in aphasia: (a) neural markers for language impairment and recovery, (b) language and cognitive markers for language impairment and recovery, (c) effective treatments and (d) predictive modelling of treatment-induced rehabilitation.Result: Language impairment and recovery in stroke-induced aphasia is multi-factorial, including patient-specific and treatment-specific factors. A combination of these factors may help us predict treatment responsiveness even before treatment begins.Conclusion: Continued work on this topic will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms that underly language impairment and treatment-induced recovery in aphasia, and, consequently, use this information to predict each person's recovery profile trajectory and provide optimal prescriptions regarding the type and dosage of treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Varkanitsa
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pasquini L, Di Napoli A, Rossi-Espagnet MC, Visconti E, Napolitano A, Romano A, Bozzao A, Peck KK, Holodny AI. Understanding Language Reorganization With Neuroimaging: How Language Adapts to Different Focal Lesions and Insights Into Clinical Applications. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:747215. [PMID: 35250510 PMCID: PMC8895248 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.747215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When the language-dominant hemisphere is damaged by a focal lesion, the brain may reorganize the language network through functional and structural changes known as adaptive plasticity. Adaptive plasticity is documented for triggers including ischemic, tumoral, and epileptic focal lesions, with effects in clinical practice. Many questions remain regarding language plasticity. Different lesions may induce different patterns of reorganization depending on pathologic features, location in the brain, and timing of onset. Neuroimaging provides insights into language plasticity due to its non-invasiveness, ability to image the whole brain, and large-scale implementation. This review provides an overview of language plasticity on MRI with insights for patient care. First, we describe the structural and functional language network as depicted by neuroimaging. Second, we explore language reorganization triggered by stroke, brain tumors, and epileptic lesions and analyze applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. By comparing different focal lesions, we investigate determinants of language plasticity including lesion location and timing of onset, longitudinal evolution of reorganization, and the relationship between structural and functional changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Pasquini
- Neuroradiology Service, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, Sant’Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Di Napoli
- Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, Sant’Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Radiology Department, Castelli Hospital, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Emiliano Visconti
- Neuroradiology Unit, Cesena Surgery and Trauma Department, M. Bufalini Hospital, AUSL Romagna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, Sant’Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bozzao
- Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, Sant’Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Kyung K. Peck
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Andrei I. Holodny
- Neuroradiology Service, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Weill-Cornell Graduate School of the Medical Sciences, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Meier EL. The role of disrupted functional connectivity in aphasia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 185:99-119. [PMID: 35078613 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823384-9.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Language is one of the most complex and specialized higher cognitive processes. Brain damage to the distributed, primarily left-lateralized language network can result in aphasia, a neurologic disorder characterized by receptive and/or expressive deficits in spoken and/or written language. Most often, aphasia is the consequence of stroke-termed poststroke aphasia (PSA)-yet, aphasia can also manifest due to neurodegenerative disease, specifically, a disorder called primary progressive aphasia (PPA). In recent years, functional connectivity neuroimaging studies have provided emerging evidence supporting theories regarding the relationships between language impairments, structural brain damage, and functional network properties in these two disorders. This chapter reviews the current evidence for the "network phenotype of stroke injury" hypothesis (Siegel et al., 2016) as it pertains to PSA and the "network degeneration hypothesis" (Seeley et al., 2009) as it pertains to PPA. Methodologic considerations for functional connectivity studies, limitations of the current functional connectivity literature in aphasia, and future directions are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Meier
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Johnson JP, Meier EL, Pan Y, Kiran S. Abnormally weak functional connections get stronger in chronic stroke patients who benefit from naming therapy. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 223:105042. [PMID: 34695614 PMCID: PMC8638784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Language recovery in aphasia is likely supported by a network of brain regions, but few studies have investigated treatment-related changes in functional connectivity while controlling for the absence of treatment. We examined functional connectivity in a 38-region picture-naming network in 30 patients with chronic aphasia who did or did not receive naming therapy. Compared to healthy controls, patients had abnormally low connectivity in a subset of connections from the naming network. Linear mixed models showed that the connectivity of abnormal connections increased significantly in patients who benefited from therapy, but not in those who did not benefit from or receive therapy. Changes in responders were specific to abnormal connections and did not extend to the larger network. Thus, successful naming therapy was associated with increased connectivity in connections that were abnormal prior to treatment. The potential to strengthen such connections may be a prerequisite for a successful treatment response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Johnson
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Erin L Meier
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yue Pan
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Truzman T, Rochon E, Meltzer J, Leonard C, Bitan T. Simultaneous Normalization and Compensatory Changes in Right Hemisphere Connectivity during Aphasia Therapy. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1330. [PMID: 34679395 PMCID: PMC8534113 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in brain connectivity during language therapy were examined among participants with aphasia (PWA), aiming to shed light on neural reorganization in the language network. Four PWA with anomia following left hemisphere stroke and eight healthy controls (HC) participated in the study. Two fMRI scans were administered to all participants with a 3.5-month interval. The fMRI scans included phonological and semantic tasks, each consisting of linguistic and perceptual matching conditions. Between the two fMRI scans, PWA underwent Phonological Components Analysis treatment. Changes in effective connectivity during the treatment were examined within right hemisphere (RH) architecture. The results illustrate that following the treatment, the averaged connectivity of PWA across all perceptual and linguistic conditions in both tasks increased resemblance to HC, reflecting the normalization of neural processes associated with silent object name retrieval. In contrast, connections that were specifically enhanced by the phonological condition in PWA decreased in their resemblance to HC, reflecting emerging compensatory reorganization in RH connectivity to support phonological processing. These findings suggest that both normalization and compensation play a role in neural language reorganization at the chronic stage, occurring simultaneously in the same brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tammar Truzman
- Communication Sciences and Disorders Department and IIPDM, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Elizabeth Rochon
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; (E.R.); (J.M.); (C.L.); (T.B.)
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network (UHN), Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, Canada
| | - Jed Meltzer
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; (E.R.); (J.M.); (C.L.); (T.B.)
- Psychology Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Carol Leonard
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; (E.R.); (J.M.); (C.L.); (T.B.)
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Tali Bitan
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; (E.R.); (J.M.); (C.L.); (T.B.)
- Psychology Department and IIPDM, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gilmore N, Yücel MA, Li X, Boas DA, Kiran S. Investigating Language and Domain-General Processing in Neurotypicals and Individuals With Aphasia - A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Pilot Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:728151. [PMID: 34602997 PMCID: PMC8484538 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.728151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain reorganization patterns associated with language recovery after stroke have long been debated. Studying mechanisms of spontaneous and treatment-induced language recovery in post-stroke aphasia requires a network-based approach given the potential for recruitment of perilesional left hemisphere language regions, homologous right hemisphere language regions, and/or spared bilateral domain-general regions. Recent hardware, software, and methodological advances in functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) make it well-suited to examine this question. fNIRS is cost-effective with minimal contraindications, making it a robust option to monitor treatment-related brain activation changes over time. Establishing clear activation patterns in neurotypical adults during language and domain-general cognitive processes via fNIRS is an important first step. Some fNIRS studies have investigated key language processes in healthy adults, yet findings are challenging to interpret in the context of methodological limitations. This pilot study used fNIRS to capture brain activation during language and domain-general processing in neurotypicals and individuals with aphasia. These findings will serve as a reference when interpreting treatment-related changes in brain activation patterns in post-stroke aphasia in the future. Twenty-four young healthy controls, seventeen older healthy controls, and six individuals with left hemisphere stroke-induced aphasia completed two language tasks (i.e., semantic feature, picture naming) and one domain-general cognitive task (i.e., arithmetic) twice during fNIRS. The probe covered bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes and included short-separation detectors for scalp signal nuisance regression. Younger and older healthy controls activated core language regions during semantic feature processing (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis) and lexical retrieval (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis) and domain-general regions (e.g., bilateral middle frontal gyri) during hard versus easy arithmetic as expected. Consistent with theories of post-stroke language recovery, individuals with aphasia activated areas outside the traditional networks: left superior frontal gyrus and left supramarginal gyrus during semantic feature judgment; left superior frontal gyrus and right precentral gyrus during picture naming; and left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis during arithmetic processing. The preliminary findings in the stroke group highlight the utility of using fNIRS to study language and domain-general processing in aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Gilmore
- Department of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Meryem Ayse Yücel
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinge Li
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - David A Boas
- Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Department of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kristinsson S, Zhang W, Rorden C, Newman‐Norlund R, Basilakos A, Bonilha L, Yourganov G, Xiao F, Hillis A, Fridriksson J. Machine learning-based multimodal prediction of language outcomes in chronic aphasia. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1682-1698. [PMID: 33377592 PMCID: PMC7978124 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have combined multiple neuroimaging modalities to gain further understanding of the neurobiological substrates of aphasia. Following this line of work, the current study uses machine learning approaches to predict aphasia severity and specific language measures based on a multimodal neuroimaging dataset. A total of 116 individuals with chronic left-hemisphere stroke were included in the study. Neuroimaging data included task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion-based fractional anisotropy (FA)-values, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and lesion-load data. The Western Aphasia Battery was used to measure aphasia severity and specific language functions. As a primary analysis, we constructed support vector regression (SVR) models predicting language measures based on (i) each neuroimaging modality separately, (ii) lesion volume alone, and (iii) a combination of all modalities. Prediction accuracy across models was subsequently statistically compared. Prediction accuracy across modalities and language measures varied substantially (predicted vs. empirical correlation range: r = .00-.67). The multimodal prediction model yielded the most accurate prediction in all cases (r = .53-.67). Statistical superiority in favor of the multimodal model was achieved in 28/30 model comparisons (p-value range: <.001-.046). Our results indicate that different neuroimaging modalities carry complementary information that can be integrated to more accurately depict how brain damage and remaining functionality of intact brain tissue translate into language function in aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sigfus Kristinsson
- Center for the Study of Aphasia RecoveryUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Wanfang Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Chris Rorden
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | | | - Alexandra Basilakos
- Center for the Study of Aphasia RecoveryUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Leonardo Bonilha
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of South CarolinaCharlestonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Grigori Yourganov
- Advanced Computing and Data Science, Cyberinfrastructure and Technology IntegrationClemson UniversityClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Feifei Xiao
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Argye Hillis
- Department of Neurology and Physical Medicine and RehabilitationJohns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Cognitive ScienceJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Center for the Study of Aphasia RecoveryUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abbott NT, Baker CJ, Chen C, Liu TT, Love TE. Defining Hypoperfusion in Chronic Aphasia: An Individualized Thresholding Approach. Brain Sci 2021; 11:491. [PMID: 33924446 PMCID: PMC8070458 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the aphasia literature, it is common to link location of lesioned brain tissue to specific patterns of language impairment. This has provided valuable insight into the relationship between brain structure and function, but it does not capture important underlying alterations in function of regions that remain structurally intact. Research has demonstrated that in the chronic stage of aphasia, variable patterns of reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF; hypoperfusion) in structurally intact regions of the brain contribute to persisting language impairments. However, one consistent issue in this literature is a lack of clear consensus on how to define hypoperfusion, which may lead to over- or underestimation of tissue functionality. In the current study, we conducted an exploratory analysis in six individuals with chronic aphasia (>1 year post-onset) using perfusion imaging to (1) suggest a new, individualized metric for defining hypoperfusion; (2) identify the extent of hypoperfused tissue in perilesional bands; and (3) explore the relationship between hypoperfusion and language impairment. Results indicated that our individualized metric for defining hypoperfusion provided greater precision when identifying functionally impaired tissue and its effects on language function in chronic aphasia. These results have important implications for intervention approaches that target intact (or impaired) brain tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noelle T. Abbott
- San Diego State University and University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; (C.J.B.); (T.E.L.)
| | - Carolyn J. Baker
- San Diego State University and University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; (C.J.B.); (T.E.L.)
| | - Conan Chen
- Center for Functional MRI and Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (C.C.); (T.T.L.)
| | - Thomas T. Liu
- Center for Functional MRI and Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (C.C.); (T.T.L.)
| | - Tracy E. Love
- San Diego State University and University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; (C.J.B.); (T.E.L.)
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Stefaniak JD, Alyahya RSW, Lambon Ralph MA. Language networks in aphasia and health: A 1000 participant activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Neuroimage 2021; 233:117960. [PMID: 33744459 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia recovery post-stroke is classically and most commonly hypothesised to rely on regions that were not involved in language premorbidly, through 'neurocomputational invasion' or engagement of 'quiescent homologues'. Contemporary accounts have suggested, instead, that recovery might be supported by under-utilised areas of the premorbid language network, which are downregulated in health to save neural resources ('variable neurodisplacement'). Despite the importance of understanding the neural bases of language recovery clinically and theoretically, there is no consensus as to which specific regions are more likely to be activated in post-stroke aphasia (PSA) than healthy individuals. Accordingly, we performed an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of language functional neuroimaging studies in PSA. We obtained coordinate-based functional neuroimaging data for 481 individuals with aphasia following left-hemisphere stroke and 530 linked controls from 33 studies that met predefined inclusion criteria. ALE identified regions of consistent, above-chance spatial convergence of activation, as well as regions of significantly different activation likelihood, between participant groups and language tasks. Overall, these findings dispute the prevailing theory that aphasia recovery involves recruitment of novel right hemisphere territory into the language network post-stroke. Instead, multiple regions throughout both hemispheres were consistently activated during language tasks in both PSA and controls. Regions of the right anterior insula, frontal operculum and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) pars opercularis were more likely to be activated across all language tasks in PSA than controls. Similar regions were more likely to be activated during higher than lower demand comprehension or production tasks, consistent with them representing enhanced utilisation of spare capacity within right hemisphere executive-control related regions. This provides novel evidence that 'variable neurodisplacement' underlies language network changes that occur post-stroke. Conversely, multiple undamaged regions were less likely to be activated across all language tasks in PSA than controls, including domain-general regions of medial superior frontal and paracingulate cortex, right IFG pars triangularis and temporal pole. These changes might represent functional diaschisis, and demonstrate that there is not global, undifferentiated upregulation of all domain-general neural resources during language in PSA. Such knowledge is essential if we are to design neurobiologically-informed therapeutic interventions to facilitate language recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D Stefaniak
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Reem S W Alyahya
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wilson SM, Schneck SM. Neuroplasticity in post-stroke aphasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of functional imaging studies of reorganization of language processing. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2021; 2:22-82. [PMID: 33884373 PMCID: PMC8057712 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of all articles published between 1995 and early 2020 that have described functional imaging studies of six or more individuals with post-stroke aphasia, and have reported analyses bearing on neuroplasticity of language processing. Each study was characterized and appraised in detail, with particular attention to three critically important methodological issues: task performance confounds, contrast validity, and correction for multiple comparisons. We identified 86 studies describing a total of 561 relevant analyses. We found that methodological limitations related to task performance confounds, contrast validity, and correction for multiple comparisons have been pervasive. Only a few claims about language processing in individuals with aphasia are strongly supported by the extant literature: first, left hemisphere language regions are less activated in individuals with aphasia than neurologically normal controls, and second, in cohorts with aphasia, activity in left hemisphere language regions, and possibly a temporal lobe region in the right hemisphere, is positively correlated with language function. There is modest, equivocal evidence for the claim that individuals with aphasia differentially recruit right hemisphere homotopic regions, but no compelling evidence for differential recruitment of additional left hemisphere regions or domain-general networks. There is modest evidence that left hemisphere language regions return to function over time, but no compelling longitudinal evidence for dynamic reorganization of the language network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Wilson
- Address for correspondence: Stephen M. Wilson, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Ave S, MCE 8310, Nashville, TN 37232. Phone: 615-936-5810.
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Keser Z, Meier EL, Stockbridge MD, Hillis AE. The role of microstructural integrity of major language pathways in narrative speech in the first year after stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2020; 29:105078. [PMID: 32807476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2020.105078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Left hemisphere stroke often results in a variety of language deficits due to varying patterns of damage to language networks. The Cookie Theft picture description task, a classic, quick bedside assessment, has been shown to quantify narrative speech reliably. In this study, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess language network white matter tract correlates of lexical-semantic and syntactic impairments longitudinally. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with mild to severe language impairments after left hemispheric lobar and/or subcortical ischemic stroke underwent the Cookie Theft picture description test and DTI up to three different time points: within the first three months, six months and twelve months after stroke. Dorsal and ventral stream language pathways were segmented to obtain DTI integrity metrics of both hemispheres. Multivariable regression models and partial correlation analyses adjusted for age, education, and lesion load were conducted to evaluate the temporal DTI profile of the white matter microstructural integrity of the language tracts as neural correlates of narrative speech within the first year after stroke. RESULTS Among all the major language white matter pathways, the integrity of the left arcuate (AF), inferior fronto-occipital, and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILF) were related to picture description performance. After FDR correction, left ILF fractional anisotropy correlated with syntactic cohesiveness (r=0.85,p=0.00087) within the first three months after stroke, whereas at one year post-stroke, the strongest correlations were found between lexical-semantic performance and left AF radial diffusivity (r = -0.71, p = 0.00065). CONCLUSION Our study provides a temporal profile of associations between the integrity of the main language pathways and lexical semantics and syntactic impairments in left hemispheric strokes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zafer Keser
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston TX, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Erin L Meier
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Melissa D Stockbridge
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Argye E Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Johnson JP, Meier EL, Pan Y, Kiran S. Pre-treatment graph measures of a functional semantic network are associated with naming therapy outcomes in chronic aphasia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 207:104809. [PMID: 32505940 PMCID: PMC7338231 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Naming treatment outcomes in post-stroke aphasia are variable and the factors underlying this variability are incompletely understood. In this study, 26 patients with chronic aphasia completed a semantic judgment fMRI task before receiving up to 12 weeks of naming treatment. Global (i.e., network-wide) and local (i.e., regional) graph theoretic measures of pre-treatment functional connectivity were analyzed to identify differences between patients who responded most and least favorably to treatment (i.e., responders and nonresponders) and determine if network measures predicted naming improvements. Responders had higher levels of global integration (i.e., average network strength and global efficiency) than nonresponders, and these measures predicted treatment effects after controlling for lesion volume and age. Group differences in local measures were identified in several regions associated with a variety of cognitive functions. These results suggest there is a meaningful and possibly prognostically-informative relationship between patients' functional network properties and their response to naming therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Johnson
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Erin L Meier
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Yue Pan
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 326, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kiran S, Meier EL, Johnson JP. Neuroplasticity in Aphasia: A Proposed Framework of Language Recovery. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:3973-3985. [PMID: 31756154 PMCID: PMC7203519 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-rsnp-19-0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Despite a tremendous amount of research in this topic, the precise neural mechanisms underlying language recovery remain unclear. Much of the evidence suggests that activation of remaining left-hemisphere tissue, including perilesional areas, is linked to the best treatment outcomes, yet recruitment of the right hemisphere for various language tasks has also been linked to favorable behavioral outcomes. In this review article, we propose a framework of language recovery that incorporates a network-based view of the brain regions involved in recovery. Method We review evidence from the extant literature and work from our own laboratory to identify findings consistent with our proposed framework and identify gaps in our current knowledge. Results Expanding on Heiss and Thiel's (2006) hierarchy of language recovery, we identify 4 emerging themes: (a) Several bilateral regions constitute a network engaged in language recovery; (b) spared left-hemisphere regions are important components of the network engaged in language recovery; (c) as damage increases in the left hemisphere, activation expands to the right hemisphere and domain-general regions; and (d) patients with efficient, control-like network topology show greater improvement than patients with abnormal topology. We propose a mechanistic model of language recovery that accounts for individual differences in behavior, network topology, and treatment responsiveness. Conclusion Continued work in this topic will lead us to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying language recovery, biomarkers that influence recovery, and, consequently, more personalized treatment options for individual patients. Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10257590.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Kiran
- Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, MA
| | - Erin L. Meier
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jeffrey P. Johnson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, PA
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Program, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, PA
| |
Collapse
|