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Upton E, Doogan C, Fleming V, Leyton PQ, Barbera D, Zeidman P, Hope T, Latham W, Coley-Fisher H, Price C, Crinion J, Leff A. Efficacy of a gamified digital therapy for speech production in people with chronic aphasia (iTalkBetter): behavioural and imaging outcomes of a phase II item-randomised clinical trial. EClinicalMedicine 2024; 70:102483. [PMID: 38685927 PMCID: PMC11056404 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Aphasia is among the most debilitating of symptoms affecting stroke survivors. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is effective, but many hours of practice are required to make clinically meaningful gains. One solution to this 'dosage' problem is to automate therapeutic approaches via self-supporting apps so people with aphasia (PWA) can amass practice as it suits them. However, response to therapy is variable and no clinical trial has yet identified the key brain regions required to engage with word-retrieval therapy. Methods Between Sep 7, 2020 and Mar 1, 2022 at University College London in the UK, we carried out a phase II, item-randomised clinical trial in 27 PWA using a novel, self-led app, 'iTalkBetter', which utilises confrontation naming therapy. Unlike previously reported apps, it has a real-time utterance verification system that drives its adaptive therapy algorithm. Therapy items were individually randomised to provide balanced lists of 'trained' and 'untrained' items matched on key psycholinguistic variables and baseline performance. PWA practised with iTalkBetter over a 6-week therapy block. Structural and functional MRI data were collected to identify therapy-related changes in brain states. A repeated-measures design was employed. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04566081). Findings iTalkBetter significantly improved naming ability by 13% for trained items compared with no change for untrained items, an average increase of 29 words (SD = 26) per person; beneficial effects persisted at three months. PWA's propositional speech also significantly improved. iTalkBetter use was associated with brain volume increases in right auditory and left anterior prefrontal cortices. Task-based fMRI identified dose-related activity in the right temporoparietal junction. Interpretation Our findings suggested that iTalkBetter significantly improves PWAs' naming ability on trained items. The effect size is similar to a previous RCT of computerised therapy, but this is the first study to show transfer to a naturalistic speaking task. iTalkBetter usage and dose caused observable changes in brain structure and function to key parts of the surviving language perception, production and control networks. iTalkBetter is being rolled-out as an app for all PWA and anomia: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/icn/research/research-groups/neurotherapeutics/projects/digital-interventions-neuro-rehabilitation-0 so that they can increase their dosage of practice-based SLT. Funding National Institute for Health and Care Research, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Upton
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Catherine Doogan
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- St George’s, University of London, UK
| | - Victoria Fleming
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
| | | | - David Barbera
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Peter Zeidman
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK
| | - Tom Hope
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK
- Department of Psychology and Social Science, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
| | - William Latham
- Department of Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
| | | | - Cathy Price
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK
| | - Jennifer Crinion
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Alex Leff
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
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Dávila G, Berthier ML. Are pharmacotherapeutics effective for treating aphasia? Expert Rev Neurother 2024; 24:267-271. [PMID: 38323346 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2024.2313557] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aphasia is a communication disorder resulting from stroke and/or neurodegenerative conditions which involve the left cerebral hemisphere. It is a debilitating disorder affecting a person's ability to speak, understand, read, and write. Its impact on daily life necessitates therapeutic strategies to aid patients with aphasia. AREAS COVERED In this special report, the authors speculate whether current pharmacotherapeutic strategies are effective in treating aphasia. The authors look at aphasia caused by different conditions and how this could impact therapy before providing the reader with their expert perspectives. The aim of this paper is for the reader to gain a clearer understanding of the efficacy of the current pharmacotherapeutic treatment paradigms as well as potential future developments. EXPERT OPINION The exploration of pharmacotherapy for aphasia in vascular brain disorders and neurodegenerative diseases has received much attention in recent years with various therapeutic strategies having been put forward. In terms of whether pharmacotherapy is effective for the treatment of aphasia, there is still no clear-cut answer. Further research is needed with more studies requiring a greater emphasis on language and communication deficits. Biomarkers may also help clinicians provide their patients with a more personalized treatment plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA) - Plataforma Bionand, Málaga, Spain
| | - Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA) - Plataforma Bionand, Málaga, Spain
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Kunnath AJ, Gifford RH, Wallace MT. Cholinergic modulation of sensory perception and plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105323. [PMID: 37467908 PMCID: PMC10424559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105323] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems are highly plastic, but the mechanisms of sensory plasticity remain unclear. People with vision or hearing loss demonstrate significant neural network reorganization that promotes adaptive changes in other sensory modalities as well as in their ability to combine information across the different senses (i.e., multisensory integration. Furthermore, sensory network remodeling is necessary for sensory restoration after a period of sensory deprivation. Acetylcholine is a powerful regulator of sensory plasticity, and studies suggest that cholinergic medications may improve visual and auditory abilities by facilitating sensory network plasticity. There are currently no approved therapeutics for sensory loss that target neuroplasticity. This review explores the systems-level effects of cholinergic signaling on human visual and auditory perception, with a focus on functional performance, sensory disorders, and neural activity. Understanding the role of acetylcholine in sensory plasticity will be essential for developing targeted treatments for sensory restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansley J Kunnath
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Dávila G, Torres-Prioris MJ, López-Barroso D, Berthier ML. Turning the Spotlight to Cholinergic Pharmacotherapy of the Human Language System. CNS Drugs 2023; 37:599-637. [PMID: 37341896 PMCID: PMC10374790 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01017-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Even though language is essential in human communication, research on pharmacological therapies for language deficits in highly prevalent neurodegenerative and vascular brain diseases has received little attention. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that disruption of the cholinergic system may play an essential role in language deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment, including post-stroke aphasia. Therefore, current models of cognitive processing are beginning to appraise the implications of the brain modulator acetylcholine in human language functions. Future work should be directed further to analyze the interplay between the cholinergic system and language, focusing on identifying brain regions receiving cholinergic innervation susceptible to modulation with pharmacotherapy to improve affected language domains. The evaluation of language deficits in pharmacological cholinergic trials for Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment has thus far been limited to coarse-grained methods. More precise, fine-grained language testing is needed to refine patient selection for pharmacotherapy to detect subtle deficits in the initial phases of cognitive decline. Additionally, noninvasive biomarkers can help identify cholinergic depletion. However, despite the investigation of cholinergic treatment for language deficits in Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment, data on its effectiveness are insufficient and controversial. In the case of post-stroke aphasia, cholinergic agents are showing promise, particularly when combined with speech-language therapy to promote trained-dependent neural plasticity. Future research should explore the potential benefits of cholinergic pharmacotherapy in language deficits and investigate optimal strategies for combining these agents with other therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Marqués de Beccaria 3, 29010, Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - María José Torres-Prioris
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Marqués de Beccaria 3, 29010, Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Diana López-Barroso
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Marqués de Beccaria 3, 29010, Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Marqués de Beccaria 3, 29010, Malaga, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
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Stockbridge MD, Keser Z. Supporting Post-Stroke Language and Cognition with Pharmacotherapy: Tools for Each Phase of Care. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2023; 23:335-343. [PMID: 37271792 PMCID: PMC10257638 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01273-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is enormous enthusiasm for the possibility of pharmacotherapies to treat language deficits that can arise after stroke. Speech language therapy remains the most frequently utilized and most strongly evidenced treatment, but the numerous barriers to patients receiving the therapy necessary to recover have motivated the creation of a relatively modest, yet highly cited, body of evidence to support the use of pharmacotherapy to treat post-stroke aphasia directly or to augment traditional post-stroke aphasia treatment. In this review, we survey the use of pharmacotherapy to preserve and support language and cognition in the context of stroke across phases of care, discuss key ongoing clinical trials, and identify targets that may become emerging interventions in the future. RECENT FINDINGS Recent trials have shifted focus from short periods of drug therapy supporting therapy in the chronic phase to longer terms approaching pharmacological maintenance beginning more acutely. Recent innovations in hyperacute stroke care, such as tenecteplase, and acute initiation of neuroprotective agents and serotonin reuptake inhibitors are important areas of ongoing research that complement the ongoing search for effective adjuvants to later therapy. Currently there are no drugs approved in the United States for the treatment of aphasia. Nevertheless, pharmacological intervention may provide a benefit to all phases of stroke care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Stockbridge
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Phipps 4, Suite 446, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
| | - Zafer Keser
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
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Berthier ML, Dávila G. Pharmacotherapy for post-stroke aphasia: what are the options? Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1221-1228. [PMID: 37263978 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2221382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aphasia is a common, long-lasting aftermath of stroke lesions. There is an increased integration of pharmacotherapy as an adjunctive strategy to speech and language therapy (SLT) for post-stroke aphasia (PSA). Nevertheless, more research in pharmacotherapy for acute and chronic PSA is necessary, including the election of drugs that target different neurotransmitter systems and deficits in specific language domains. AREAS COVERED This article updates the role of pharmacotherapy for PSA, focusing the spotlight on some already investigated drugs and candidate agents deserving of future research. Refining the precision of drug election would require using multimodal biomarkers to develop personalized treatment approaches. There is a solid need to devise feasible randomized controlled trials adapted to the particularities of the PSA population. The emergent role of multimodal interventions combining one or two drugs with noninvasive brain stimulation to augment SLT is emphasized. EXPERT OPINION Pharmacotherapy can improve language deficits not fully alleviated by SLT. In addition, the 'drug-only' approach can also be adopted when administering SLT is not possible. The primary goal of pharmacotherapy is reducing the overall aphasia severity, although targeting language-specific deficits (i.e. naming, spoken output) also contributes to improving functional communication. Unfortunately, there is still little information for recommending a drug for specific language deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
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Arheix-Parras S, Glize B, Guehl D, Python G. Electrophysiological Changes in Patients with Post-stroke Aphasia: A Systematic Review. Brain Topogr 2023; 36:135-171. [PMID: 36749552 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-00941-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) record two main types of data: continuous measurements at rest or during sleep, and event-related potentials/evoked magnetic fields (ERPs/EMFs) that involve specific and repetitive tasks. In this systematic review, we summarized longitudinal studies on recovery from post-stroke aphasia that used continuous or event-related temporal imaging (EEG or MEG). Methods We searched PubMed and Scopus for English articles published from 1950 to May 31, 2022. Results 34 studies were included in this review: 11 were non-interventional studies and 23 were clinical trials that used specific rehabilitation methods, neuromodulation, or drugs. The results of the non-interventional studies suggested that poor language recovery was associated with slow-wave activity persisting over time. The results of some clinical trials indicated that behavioral improvements were correlated with significant modulation of the N400 component. Discussion Compared with continuous EEG, ERP/EMF may more reliably identify biomarkers of therapy-induced effects. Electrophysiology should be used more often to explore language processes that are impaired after a stroke, as it may highlight treatment challenges for patients with post-stroke aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Arheix-Parras
- ACTIVE team, Bordeaux Population Health, INSERM UMR 1219, university of Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,Institut Universitaire des Sciences de la Réadaptation, University of Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Bertrand Glize
- ACTIVE team, Bordeaux Population Health, INSERM UMR 1219, university of Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Institut Universitaire des Sciences de la Réadaptation, University of Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dominique Guehl
- Pole des neurosciences cliniques, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,IMN CNRS UMR 5293, CNRS, University of Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Grégoire Python
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Berthier ML, Edelkraut L, López-González FJ, López-Barroso D, Mohr B, Pulvermüller F, Starkstein SE, Jorge RE, Torres-Prioris MJ, Dávila G. Donepezil alone and combined with intensive language-action therapy on depression and apathy in chronic post-stroke aphasia: A feasibility study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 236:105205. [PMID: 36495749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of a short-term (10-week) intervention trial using Donepezil administered alone and combined with intensive language action therapy (ILAT) for the treatment of apathy and depression in ten people with chronic post-stroke aphasia. Outcome measures were the Western Aphasia Battery and the Stroke Aphasia Depression Questionnaire-21. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and 18fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography were acquired at baseline and after two endpoints (Donepezil alone and Donepezil-ILAT). The intervention was found to be feasible to implement. Large treatment effects were found. Donepezil alone and combined with ILAT reduced aphasia severity, while apathy and depression only improved with Donepezil-ILAT. Structural and functional neuroimaging data did not show conclusive results but provide hints for future research. Given these overall positive findings on feasibility, language and behavioral benefits, further studies in larger sample sizes and including a placebo-control group are indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
| | - Lisa Edelkraut
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain; Area of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Francisco J López-González
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, General Foundation of the University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Molecular Imaging Group, Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Diana López-Barroso
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain; Area of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Bettina Mohr
- Zentrum für Neuropsychologie und Intensive Sprachtherapie - ZeNIS, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedemann Pulvermüller
- Brain Language Laboratory, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, WE4, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Sergio E Starkstein
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia (M704), Perth, Australia
| | - Ricardo E Jorge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - María José Torres-Prioris
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain; Area of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Malaga, Spain; Area of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
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Common Neuroanatomical Substrate of Cholinergic Pathways and Language-Related Brain Regions as an Explanatory Framework for Evaluating the Efficacy of Cholinergic Pharmacotherapy in Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101273. [PMID: 36291207 PMCID: PMC9599395 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the relative scarcity of studies focusing on pharmacotherapy in aphasia, there is evidence in the literature indicating that remediation of language disorders via pharmaceutical agents could be a promising aphasia treatment option. Among the various agents used to treat chronic aphasic deficits, cholinergic drugs have provided meaningful results. In the current review, we focused on published reports investigating the impact of acetylcholine on language and other cognitive disturbances. It has been suggested that acetylcholine plays an important role in neuroplasticity and is related to several aspects of cognition, such as memory and attention. Moreover, cholinergic input is diffused to a wide network of cortical areas, which have been associated with language sub-processes. This could be a possible explanation for the positive reported outcomes of cholinergic drugs in aphasia recovery, and specifically in distinct language processes, such as naming and comprehension, as well as overall communication competence. However, evidence with regard to functional alterations in specific brain areas after pharmacotherapy is rather limited. Finally, despite the positive results derived from the relevant studies, cholinergic pharmacotherapy treatment in post-stroke aphasia has not been widely implemented. The present review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature in the common neuroanatomical substrate of cholinergic pathways and language related brain areas as a framework for interpreting the efficacy of cholinergic pharmacotherapy interventions in post-stroke aphasia, following an integrated approach by converging evidence from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuropsychology.
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Gore KR, Woollams AM, Bruehl S, Halai AD, Lambon Ralph MA. Direct Neural Evidence for the Contrastive Roles of the Complementary Learning Systems in Adult Acquisition of Native Vocabulary. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3392-3405. [PMID: 34875018 PMCID: PMC9376875 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Complementary Learning Systems (CLS) theory provides a powerful framework for considering the acquisition, consolidation, and generalization of new knowledge. We tested this proposed neural division of labor in adults through an investigation of the consolidation and long-term retention of newly learned native vocabulary with post-learning functional neuroimaging. Newly learned items were compared with two conditions: 1) previously known items to highlight the similarities and differences with established vocabulary and 2) unknown/untrained items to provide a control for non-specific perceptual and motor speech output. Consistent with the CLS, retrieval of newly learned items was supported by a combination of regions associated with episodic memory (including left hippocampus) and the language-semantic areas that support established vocabulary (left inferior frontal gyrus and left anterior temporal lobe). Furthermore, there was a shifting division of labor across these two networks in line with the items' consolidation status; faster naming was associated with more activation of language-semantic areas and lesser activation of episodic memory regions. Hippocampal activity during naming predicted more than half the variation in naming retention 6 months later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Gore
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9GB, UK
| | - Anna M Woollams
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9GB, UK
| | - Stefanie Bruehl
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9GB, UK
- St Mauritius Rehabilitation Centre, Meerbusch & Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
- Clinical and Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ajay D Halai
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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Cassidy JM, Mark JI, Cramer SC. Functional connectivity drives stroke recovery: shifting the paradigm from correlation to causation. Brain 2022; 145:1211-1228. [PMID: 34932786 PMCID: PMC9630718 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of disability, with deficits encompassing multiple functional domains. The heterogeneity underlying stroke poses significant challenges in the prediction of post-stroke recovery, prompting the development of neuroimaging-based biomarkers. Structural neuroimaging measurements, particularly those reflecting corticospinal tract injury, are well-documented in the literature as potential biomarker candidates of post-stroke motor recovery. Consistent with the view of stroke as a 'circuitopathy', functional neuroimaging measures probing functional connectivity may also prove informative in post-stroke recovery. An important step in the development of biomarkers based on functional neural network connectivity is the establishment of causality between connectivity and post-stroke recovery. Current evidence predominantly involves statistical correlations between connectivity measures and post-stroke behavioural status, either cross-sectionally or serially over time. However, the advancement of functional connectivity application in stroke depends on devising experiments that infer causality. In 1965, Sir Austin Bradford Hill introduced nine viewpoints to consider when determining the causality of an association: (i) strength; (ii) consistency; (iii) specificity; (iv) temporality; (v) biological gradient; (vi) plausibility; (vii) coherence; (viii) experiment; and (ix) analogy. Collectively referred to as the Bradford Hill Criteria, these points have been widely adopted in epidemiology. In this review, we assert the value of implementing Bradford Hill's framework to stroke rehabilitation and neuroimaging. We focus on the role of neural network connectivity measurements acquired from task-oriented and resting-state functional MRI, EEG, magnetoencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy in describing and predicting post-stroke behavioural status and recovery. We also identify research opportunities within each Bradford Hill tenet to shift the experimental paradigm from correlation to causation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Cassidy
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jasper I Mark
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Steven C Cramer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles; and California Rehabilitation Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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12
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Kristinsson S, den Ouden DB, Rorden C, Newman-Norlund R, Neils-Strunjas J, Fridriksson J. Predictors of Therapy Response in Chronic Aphasia: Building a Foundation for Personalized Aphasia Therapy. J Stroke 2022; 24:189-206. [PMID: 35677975 PMCID: PMC9194549 DOI: 10.5853/jos.2022.01102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic aphasia, a devastating impairment of language, affects up to a third of stroke survivors. Speech and language therapy has consistently been shown to improve language function in prior clinical trials, but few clinicially applicable predictors of individual therapy response have been identified to date. Consequently, clinicians struggle substantially with prognostication in the clinical management of aphasia. A rising prevalence of aphasia, in particular in younger populations, has emphasized the increasing demand for a personalized approach to aphasia therapy, that is, therapy aimed at maximizing language recovery of each individual with reference to evidence-based clinical recommendations. In this narrative review, we discuss the current state of the literature with respect to commonly studied predictors of therapy response in aphasia. In particular, we focus our discussion on biographical, neuropsychological, and neurobiological predictors, and emphasize limitations of the literature, summarize consistent findings, and consider how the research field can better support the development of personalized aphasia therapy. In conclusion, a review of the literature indicates that future research efforts should aim to recruit larger samples of people with aphasia, including by establishing multisite aphasia research centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigfus Kristinsson
- Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Dirk B. den Ouden
- Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Chris Rorden
- Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Roger Newman-Norlund
- Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jean Neils-Strunjas
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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13
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Geranmayeh F. Cholinergic neurotransmitter system: a potential marker for post-stroke cognitive recovery. Brain 2022; 145:1576-1578. [PMID: 35438715 PMCID: PMC9166539 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This scientific commentary refers to ‘Cholinergic and hippocampal systems facilitate cross-domain cognitive recovery after stroke’ by O’Sullivan et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac070).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Geranmayeh
- Clinical Language and Cognition Group, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial
College, London, UK,E-mail:
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14
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Dosage, Intensity, and Frequency of Language Therapy for Aphasia: A Systematic Review-Based, Individual Participant Data Network Meta-Analysis. Stroke 2022; 53:956-967. [PMID: 34847708 PMCID: PMC8884127 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.121.035216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Optimizing speech and language therapy (SLT) regimens for maximal aphasia recovery is a clinical research priority. We examined associations between SLT intensity (hours/week), dosage (total hours), frequency (days/week), duration (weeks), delivery (face to face, computer supported, individual tailoring, and home practice), content, and language outcomes for people with aphasia. METHODS Databases including MEDLINE and Embase were searched (inception to September 2015). Published, unpublished, and emerging trials including SLT and ≥10 individual participant data on aphasia, language outcomes, and time post-onset were selected. Patient-level data on stroke, language, SLT, and trial risk of bias were independently extracted. Outcome measurement scores were standardized. A statistical inferencing, one-stage, random effects, network meta-analysis approach filtered individual participant data into an optimal model examining SLT regimen for overall language, auditory comprehension, naming, and functional communication pre-post intervention gains, adjusting for a priori-defined covariates (age, sex, time poststroke, and baseline aphasia severity), reporting estimates of mean change scores (95% CI). RESULTS Data from 959 individual participant data (25 trials) were included. Greatest gains in overall language and comprehension were associated with >20 to 50 hours SLT dosage (18.37 [10.58-26.16] Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient; 5.23 [1.51-8.95] Aachen Aphasia Test-Token Test). Greatest clinical overall language, functional communication, and comprehension gains were associated with 2 to 4 and 9+ SLT hours/week. Greatest clinical gains were associated with frequent SLT for overall language, functional communication (3-5+ days/week), and comprehension (4-5 days/week). Evidence of comprehension gains was absent for SLT ≤20 hours, <3 hours/week, and ≤3 days/week. Mixed receptive-expressive therapy, functionally tailored, with prescribed home practice was associated with the greatest overall gains. Relative variance was <30%. Risk of trial bias was low to moderate; low for meta-biases. CONCLUSIONS Greatest language recovery was associated with frequent, functionally tailored, receptive-expressive SLT, with prescribed home practice at a greater intensity and duration than reports of usual clinical services internationally. These exploratory findings suggest critical therapeutic ranges, informing hypothesis-testing trials and tailoring of clinical services. Registration: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifier: CRD42018110947.
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15
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Johnson LP, Fridriksson J. Electrophysiologic evidence of reorganization in poststroke aphasia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 185:167-174. [PMID: 35078597 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823384-9.00020-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Electrophysiologic methods have been used to investigate neural changes in individuals with poststroke aphasia. The major types of electrophysiologic measures include the event-related potential (ERP) and spectral power, and aspects of both (including amplitude, topography, and power) have been shown to differ in people with aphasia. Not only that, these measures are sensitive to spontaneous and treatment-induced language change. The purpose of this chapter is to review evidence of poststroke reorganization in the language network that has been identified in the acute and chronic phases of poststroke aphasia. The chapter will begin with a brief introduction to electrophysiologic methods and then focus on evidence from the most commonly studied ERPs and spectral bands in aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorelei Phillip Johnson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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16
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Stockbridge MD. Better language through chemistry: Augmenting speech-language therapy with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of aphasia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 185:261-272. [PMID: 35078604 PMCID: PMC11289691 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823384-9.00013-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Speech and language therapy is the standard treatment of aphasia. However, many individuals have barriers in seeking this measure of extensive rehabilitation treatment. Investigating ways to augment therapy is key to improving poststroke language outcomes for all patients with aphasia, and pharmacotherapies provide one such potential solution. Although no medications are currently approved for the treatment of aphasia by the United States Food and Drug Administration, numerous candidate mechanisms for pharmaceutical manipulation continue to be identified based on our evolving understanding of the neurometabolic experience of stroke recovery across molecular, cellular, and functional levels of inquiry. This chapter will review evidence for catecholaminergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, and serotonergic drug therapies and discuss future directions for both candidate drug selection and pharmacotherapy practice in people with aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Stockbridge
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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17
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Cichon N, Wlodarczyk L, Saluk-Bijak J, Bijak M, Redlicka J, Gorniak L, Miller E. Novel Advances to Post-Stroke Aphasia Pharmacology and Rehabilitation. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10173778. [PMID: 34501229 PMCID: PMC8432240 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia is one of the most common clinical features of functional impairment after a stroke. Approximately 21–40% of stroke patients sustain permanent aphasia, which progressively worsens one’s quality of life and rehabilitation outcomes. Post-stroke aphasia treatment strategies include speech language therapies, cognitive neurorehabilitation, telerehabilitation, computer-based management, experimental pharmacotherapy, and physical medicine. This review focuses on current evidence of the effectiveness of impairment-based aphasia therapies and communication-based therapies (as well as the timing and optimal treatment intensities for these interventions). Moreover, we present specific interventions, such as constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) and melodic intonation therapy (MIT). Accumulated data suggest that using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is safe and can be used to modulate cortical excitability. Therefore, we review clinical studies that present TMS and tDCS as (possible) promising therapies in speech and language recovery, stimulating neuroplasticity. Several drugs have been used in aphasia pharmacotherapy, but evidence from clinical studies suggest that only nootropic agents, donepezil and memantine, may improve the prognosis of aphasia. This article is an overview on the current state of knowledge related to post-stroke aphasia pharmacology, rehabilitation, and future trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Cichon
- Biohazard Prevention Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska, 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.B.); (L.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Lidia Wlodarczyk
- Department of Occupational Diseases and Environmental Health, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 91-348 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Joanna Saluk-Bijak
- Department of General Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska, 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Michal Bijak
- Biohazard Prevention Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska, 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.B.); (L.G.)
| | - Justyna Redlicka
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lodz, Milionowa, 14, 93-113 Lodz, Poland; (J.R.); (E.M.)
| | - Leslaw Gorniak
- Biohazard Prevention Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska, 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.B.); (L.G.)
| | - Elzbieta Miller
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lodz, Milionowa, 14, 93-113 Lodz, Poland; (J.R.); (E.M.)
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18
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De Letter M, Cocquyt EM, Cromheecke O, Criel Y, De Cock E, De Herdt V, Szmalec A, Duyck W. The Protective Influence of Bilingualism on the Recovery of Phonological Input Processing in Aphasia After Stroke. Front Psychol 2021; 11:553970. [PMID: 33479564 PMCID: PMC7814870 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.553970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Language-related potentials are increasingly used to objectify (mal)adaptive neuroplasticity in stroke-related aphasia recovery. Using preattentive [mismatch negativity (MMN)] and attentive (P300) phonologically related paradigms, neuroplasticity in sensory memory and cognitive functioning underlying phonological processing can be investigated. In aphasic patients, MMN amplitudes are generally reduced for speech sounds with a topographic source distribution in the right hemisphere. For P300 amplitudes and latencies, both normal and abnormal results have been reported. The current study investigates the preattentive and attentive phonological discrimination ability in 17 aphasic patients (6 monolinguals and 11 bilinguals, aged 41–71 years) at two timepoints during aphasia recovery. Between the two timepoints, a significant improvement of behavioral language performance in both languages is observed in all patients with the MMN latency at timepoint 1 as a predictive factor for aphasia recovery. In contrast to monolinguals, bilingual aphasic patients have a higher probability to improve their processing speed during rehabilitation, resulting in a shortening of the MMN latency over time, which sometimes progresses toward the normative values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miet De Letter
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Oona Cromheecke
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yana Criel
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elien De Cock
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Veerle De Herdt
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Szmalec
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Duyck
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Adjunctive Approaches to Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Review on Efficacy and Safety. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11010041. [PMID: 33401678 PMCID: PMC7823462 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia is one of the most socially disabling post-stroke deficits. Although traditional therapies have been shown to induce adequate clinical improvement, aphasic symptoms often persist. Therefore, unconventional rehabilitation techniques which act as a substitute or as an adjunct to traditional approaches are urgently needed. The present review provides an overview of the efficacy and safety of the principal approaches which have been proposed over the last twenty years. First, we examined the effectiveness of the pharmacological approach, principally used as an adjunct to language therapy, reporting the mechanism of action of each single drug for the recovery of aphasia. Results are conflicting but promising. Secondly, we discussed the application of Virtual Reality (VR) which has been proven to be useful since it potentiates the ecological validity of the language therapy by using virtual contexts which simulate real-life everyday contexts. Finally, we focused on the use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), both discussing its applications at the cortical level and highlighting a new perspective, which considers the possibility to extend the use of tDCS over the motor regions. Although the review reveals an extraordinary variability among the different studies, substantial agreement has been reached on some general principles, such as the necessity to consider tDCS only as an adjunct to traditional language therapy.
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20
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Fleming V, Brownsett S, Krason A, Maegli MA, Coley-Fisher H, Ong YH, Nardo D, Leach R, Howard D, Robson H, Warburton E, Ashburner J, Price CJ, Crinion JT, Leff AP. Efficacy of spoken word comprehension therapy in patients with chronic aphasia: a cross-over randomised controlled trial with structural imaging. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 92:jnnp-2020-324256. [PMID: 33154182 PMCID: PMC7611712 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The efficacy of spoken language comprehension therapies for persons with aphasia remains equivocal. We investigated the efficacy of a self-led therapy app, 'Listen-In', and examined the relation between brain structure and therapy response. METHODS A cross-over randomised repeated measures trial with five testing time points (12-week intervals), conducted at the university or participants' homes, captured baseline (T1), therapy (T2-T4) and maintenance (T5) effects. Participants with chronic poststroke aphasia and spoken language comprehension impairments completed consecutive Listen-In and standard care blocks (both 12 weeks with order randomised). Repeated measures analyses of variance compared change in spoken language comprehension on two co-primary outcomes over therapy versus standard care. Three structural MRI scans (T2-T4) for each participant (subgroup, n=25) were analysed using cross-sectional and longitudinal voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS Thirty-five participants completed, on average, 85 hours (IQR=70-100) of Listen-In (therapy first, n=18). The first study-specific co-primary outcome (Auditory Comprehension Test (ACT)) showed large and significant improvements for trained spoken words over therapy versus standard care (11%, Cohen's d=1.12). Gains were largely maintained at 12 and 24 weeks. There were no therapy effects on the second standardised co-primary outcome (Comprehensive Aphasia Test: Spoken Words and Sentences). Change on ACT trained words was associated with volume of pretherapy right hemisphere white matter and post-therapy grey matter tissue density changes in bilateral temporal lobes. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with chronic aphasia can improve their spoken word comprehension many years after stroke. Results contribute to hemispheric debates implicating the right hemisphere in therapy-driven language recovery. Listen-In will soon be available on GooglePlay. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02540889.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Fleming
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Brownsett
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna Krason
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria A Maegli
- Department of Psychology, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Henry Coley-Fisher
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yean-Hoon Ong
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Davide Nardo
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Rupert Leach
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - David Howard
- School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK
| | - Holly Robson
- Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, UK
| | - Elizabeth Warburton
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - John Ashburner
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jenny T Crinion
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexander P Leff
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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21
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Msigwa SS, Cheng X. The management of subacute and chronic vascular aphasia: an updated review. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-020-00224-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Post-stroke aphasia (PSA) is an impairment of the generation or comprehension of language due to acute cerebrovascular lesions. Subacute phase span the 7th day to 24 weeks post-onset while > 6 months is termed chronic phase. Language recovery does not arise immediately in chronic PSA, unlike the acute phase. The majority of the treatment modalities in these two PSA phases are still in the infancy stage, facing dilemmas and considered experimental requiring constant updates. Hence, we aimed to upgrade the existing literature regarding available PSA management options, advances, and drawbacks pertaining to subacute and chronic phases.
Main text
In this review, we analyzed the management options for subacute and chronic vascular aphasia. MEDLINE, through PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were explored for English studies by utilizing the terms “stroke aphasia” Plus “vascular aphasia”; 160,753 articles were retrieved. The latest studies, published from 2016 to July 2020, were selected. Article headings and abstracts were analyzed for relevance and filtered; eventually, 92 articles were included in this review. Various management options were extracted as follows: noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS), technology-based therapies, speech-language therapy (SLT), pharmacotherapy, music-based therapies, and psychosocial interventions.
Conclusion
The PSA therapy evolves towards more intense SLT therapy, yet the optimal dosage of the emerging high-intensity therapies is controversial. As spinal and cerebellar NIBS, Telespeech, and E-mental health mark PSA's future, distinct pharmacological options remain a dilemma. Across the continuum of care, PSA–depression comorbidity and inadequate PSA post-discharge education to patient’s families are the significant therapeutic challenges. Future therapeutic mechanisms, optimal dose/timing, and tolerability/safety exploration are obliged.
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22
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Duncan ES, Pradeep AA, Small SL. A Review of Biological Interventions in Chronic Aphasia. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2020; 23:S82-S94. [PMID: 33343131 PMCID: PMC7731673 DOI: 10.4103/aian.aian_549_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphasia is a common and debilitating condition following stroke. While the gold standard for aphasia treatment is behavioral speech-language therapy, benefits remain modest in chronic stages of recovery. This limitation motivates the pursuit of novel interventions for chronic aphasia. Here, we review biological approaches that have been used (or proposed for use, in the case of regenerative and genetic therapies) to treat chronic aphasia. These techniques aim to ameliorate the deficits of aphasia by directly manipulating brain function, rather than training lost or compensatory functions, although many have been used to augment effects of behavioral therapy. Specifically, we explore the most robust designs of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and pharmacotherapy that have been applied in chronic (≥6 months) post-stroke aphasia. We also consider less investigated approaches including epidural cortical stimulation and photobiomodulation. All methods are currently in nascent phases and restricted to experimental studies and clinical trials. Although the evidence base remains limited, such interventions may ultimately improve language function and quality of life for those living with chronic aphasia. However, it is crucial that application of these methods consider the effects of concomitant speech-language therapy, as biological interventions combined with behaviorally induced experience-dependent plasticity will likely yield the most beneficial and durable outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Susan Duncan
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA,Address for correspondence: Dr. E. Susan Duncan, 74 Hatcher Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA - 70803, USA. E-mail:
| | - Aswathy Anakkathil Pradeep
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Steven L. Small
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
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23
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Cocquyt EM, Vandewiele M, Bonnarens C, Santens P, De Letter M. The sensitivity of event-related potentials/fields to logopedic interventions in patients with stroke-related aphasia. Acta Neurol Belg 2020; 120:805-817. [PMID: 32474880 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-020-01378-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Recovery of stroke-related aphasia can be affected by language therapy in the early and chronic stage. Objectively monitoring therapy-induced neuroplasticity is possible by several measurement techniques including electro- and magneto-encephalography. The obtained event-related potentials (ERPs) and fields (ERFs) provide insights into the neural basis of intact or deficient language processing with milliseconds precision. In this literature review, we highlight the sensitivity of ERPs and ERFs to logopedic interventions by providing an overview of therapy-induced changes in the amplitude, latency and topography of early and mid-to-late components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa-Marie Cocquyt
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 2P1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Marie Vandewiele
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 2P1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Cindy Bonnarens
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 2P1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Patrick Santens
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 13K12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Miet De Letter
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 2P1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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24
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Nagappan PG, Chen H, Wang DY. Neuroregeneration and plasticity: a review of the physiological mechanisms for achieving functional recovery postinjury. Mil Med Res 2020; 7:30. [PMID: 32527334 PMCID: PMC7288425 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-020-00259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks, especially those in the central nervous system (CNS), evolved to support extensive functional capabilities while ensuring stability. Several physiological "brakes" that maintain the stability of the neuronal networks in a healthy state quickly become a hinderance postinjury. These "brakes" include inhibition from the extracellular environment, intrinsic factors of neurons and the control of neuronal plasticity. There are distinct differences between the neuronal networks in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the CNS. Underpinning these differences is the trade-off between reduced functional capabilities with increased adaptability through the formation of new connections and new neurons. The PNS has "facilitators" that stimulate neuroregeneration and plasticity, while the CNS has "brakes" that limit them. By studying how these "facilitators" and "brakes" work and identifying the key processes and molecules involved, we can attempt to apply these theories to the neuronal networks of the CNS to increase its adaptability. The difference in adaptability between the CNS and PNS leads to a difference in neuroregenerative properties and plasticity. Plasticity ensures quick functional recovery of abilities in the short and medium term. Neuroregeneration involves synthesizing new neurons and connections, providing extra resources in the long term to replace those damaged by the injury, and achieving a lasting functional recovery. Therefore, by understanding the factors that affect neuroregeneration and plasticity, we can combine their advantages and develop rehabilitation techniques. Rehabilitation training methods, coordinated with pharmacological interventions and/or electrical stimulation, contributes to a precise, holistic treatment plan that achieves functional recovery from nervous system injuries. Furthermore, these techniques are not limited to limb movement, as other functions lost as a result of brain injury, such as speech, can also be recovered with an appropriate training program.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hong Chen
- Shengli Clinical College of Fujian Medical University; Department of Neurology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
| | - De-Yun Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
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Simões HDO, Zanchetta S, Furtado EF. Auditory training methods in children with psychiatric diagnosis: an integrative literature review. REVISTA CEFAC 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0216/202022218318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Purpose: to identify auditory training approaches used in the pediatric population with psychiatric diagnoses and to characterize the contexts in which the intervention took place, as well as protocols and discernment of the results. Methods: a search was carried out in four databases, using the fixed terms "auditory training" OR "auditory rehabilitation". Regarding the sampling, there was a considerable range of diagnoses, signs and symptoms, including the most common ones. Articles published until August 2018 whose population did not present hearing loss were selected; articles whose subjects had made use of any personal sound amplification products, presented otitis or had any isolated diagnosis of auditory processing disorder, were excluded. Results: 16 articles out of the 103 references found, met the inclusion criteria. The samplings studied were children and adolescents with learning, language or reading disorders, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. The bottom-up intervention and the combined approach (bottom-up and top-down), in the formal context, were the most frequent approaches, whose results led to the improvement in linguistic, metalinguistic and auditory skills. The amount and frequency of sessions, as well as their duration varied. Conclusion: the heterogeneity of auditory training techniques diversified the results. However, it seems there is a potential for recommending auditory training in the reviewed population.
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26
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The neural and neurocomputational bases of recovery from post-stroke aphasia. Nat Rev Neurol 2019; 16:43-55. [DOI: 10.1038/s41582-019-0282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Crosson B, Rodriguez AD, Copland D, Fridriksson J, Krishnamurthy LC, Meinzer M, Raymer AM, Krishnamurthy V, Leff AP. Neuroplasticity and aphasia treatments: new approaches for an old problem. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019; 90:1147-1155. [PMID: 31055282 PMCID: PMC8014302 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2018-319649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Given the profound impact of language impairment after stroke (aphasia), neuroplasticity research is garnering considerable attention as means for eventually improving aphasia treatments and how they are delivered. Functional and structural neuroimaging studies indicate that aphasia treatments can recruit both residual and new neural mechanisms to improve language function and that neuroimaging modalities may hold promise in predicting treatment outcome. In relatively small clinical trials, both non-invasive brain stimulation and behavioural manipulations targeting activation or suppression of specific cortices can improve aphasia treatment outcomes. Recent language interventions that employ principles consistent with inducing neuroplasticity also are showing improved performance for both trained and novel items and contexts. While knowledge is rapidly accumulating, larger trials emphasising how to select optimal paradigms for individualised aphasia treatment are needed. Finally, a model of how to incorporate the growing knowledge into clinical practice could help to focus future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Crosson
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA .,Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amy D Rodriguez
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA.,Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - David Copland
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lisa C Krishnamurthy
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcus Meinzer
- Department of Neurology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anastasia M Raymer
- Department of Communication Disorders and Special Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Venkatagiri Krishnamurthy
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA.,Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alexander P Leff
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauna Berube
- From the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Argye E Hillis
- From the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Donepezil's Effects on Brain Functions of Patients With Alzheimer Disease: A Regional Homogeneity Study Based on Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Clin Neuropharmacol 2019; 42:42-48. [PMID: 30875345 PMCID: PMC6426347 DOI: 10.1097/wnf.0000000000000324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Donepezil is known to increase cholinergic synaptic transmission in Alzheimer disease (AD), although how it affects cortical brain activity and how it consequently affects brain functions need further clarification. To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of donepezil underlying its effect on brain function, regional homogeneity (ReHo) technology was used in this study. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study included 11 mild-to-moderate AD patients who completed 24 weeks of donepezil treatment and 11 matched healthy controls. All participants finished neuropsychological assessment and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning to compare whole-brain ReHo before and after donepezil treatment. RESULTS Significantly decreased Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale scores (P = 0.010) and increased Mini-Mental State Examination scores (P = 0.043) were observed in the AD patients. In addition, in the right gyrus rectus (P = 0.021), right precentral gyrus (P = 0.026), and left superior temporal gyrus (P = 0.043) of the AD patients, decreased ReHo was exhibited. CONCLUSION Donepezil-mediated improvement of cognitive function in AD patients is linked to spontaneous brain activities of the right gyrus rectus, right precentral gyrus, and left superior temporal gyrus, which could be used as potential biomarkers for monitoring the therapeutic effect of donepezil.
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Pires MM, Schochat E. The effectiveness of an auditory temporal training program in children who present voiceless/voiced-based orthographic errors. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216782. [PMID: 31107920 PMCID: PMC6527308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Studies on children's written production of the Brazilian Portuguese have shown that one of the most frequent phonological-based orthographic errors is the one related to voiceless/voiced phonemes. Children who make this type of error may have auditory temporal processing disorders, which can harm the perception of phonemes with similar characteristics. AIM Verify the effectiveness of an auditory temporal training program based on activities adapted from the software Fast ForWord in the auditory temporal processing, i.e. the temporal ordering skill, and in reducing voiceless/voiced-based orthographic errors and the frequency of occurrence of these errors in the written production of the children. METHOD Twenty-five children participated on this study. They were divided in two groups: experimental group consisting of 16 participants, who engaged in the auditory temporal training activities; and a placebo group consisting of nine participants, who engaged in passive visual activities. The behavioral measures applied in the pre-training evaluation, post-training and placebo evaluations were: i) auditory skill of temporal ordering by the Pitch Pattern Sequence Test; and ii) analysis of the amount of voiceless/voiced-based orthographic errors and the frequency of occurrence of these errors by the use of dictation. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found concerning the placebo group in the pre-training and post-training evaluations, in all evaluation measures. However, statistically significant differences were found in the pre-training and post-training evaluations for the pitch pattern sequence test concerning the experimental group. These differences were specifically related to a reduction of the errors regarding fricative graphemes, and the frequency of occurrence of plosive and fricative graphemes. CONCLUSIONS The auditory temporal training program was effective in improving the temporal ordering skill and reducing errors in the writing of children who made voiceless/voiced-based orthographic errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Monteiro Pires
- Department of Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Schochat
- Department of Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We now know that speech and language therapy (SALT) is effective in the rehabilitation of aphasia; however, there remains much individual variability in the response to interventions. So, what works for whom, when and how? RECENT FINDINGS This review evaluates the current evidence for the efficacy of predominantly impairment-focused aphasia interventions with respect to optimal dose, intensity, timing and distribution or spacing of treatment. We conclude that sufficient dose of treatment is required to enable clinical gains and that e-therapies are a promising and practical way to achieve this goal. In addition, aphasia can be associated with other cognitive deficits and may lead to secondary effects such as low mood and social isolation. In order to personalise individual treatments to optimise recovery, we need to develop a greater understanding of the interactions between these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Doogan
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- Institute of Cognititive Neuroscience, UCL, 17 Queen Square, London, UK.
| | - Jade Dignam
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research and School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - David Copland
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research and School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Alex Leff
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Institute of Cognititive Neuroscience, UCL, 17 Queen Square, London, UK
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Shuster LI. Considerations for the Use of Neuroimaging Technologies for Predicting Recovery of Speech and Language in Aphasia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2018; 27:291-305. [PMID: 29497745 DOI: 10.1044/2018_ajslp-16-0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The number of research articles aimed at identifying neuroimaging biomarkers for predicting recovery from aphasia continues to grow. Although the clinical use of these biomarkers to determine prognosis has been proposed, there has been little discussion of how this would be accomplished. This is an important issue because the best translational science occurs when translation is considered early in the research process. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to present a framework to guide the discussion of how neuroimaging biomarkers for recovery from aphasia could be implemented clinically. METHOD The genomics literature reveals that implementing genetic testing in the real-world poses both opportunities and challenges. There is much similarity between these opportunities and challenges and those related to implementing neuroimaging testing to predict recovery in aphasia. Therefore, the Center for Disease Control's model list of questions aimed at guiding the review of genetic testing has been adapted to guide the discussion of using neuroimaging biomarkers as predictors of recovery in aphasia. CONCLUSION The adapted model list presented here is a first and useful step toward initiating a discussion of how neuroimaging biomarkers of recovery could be employed clinically to provide improved quality of care for individuals with aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda I Shuster
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo
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Penny W, Iglesias-Fuster J, Quiroz YT, Lopera FJ, Bobes MA. Dynamic Causal Modeling of Preclinical Autosomal-Dominant Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 65:697-711. [PMID: 29562504 PMCID: PMC6923812 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) is a framework for making inferences about changes in brain connectivity using neuroimaging data. We fitted DCMs to high-density EEG data from subjects performing a semantic picture matching task. The subjects are carriers of the PSEN1 mutation, which leads to early onset Alzheimer's disease, but at the time of EEG acquisition in 1999, these subjects were cognitively unimpaired. We asked 1) what is the optimal model architecture for explaining the event-related potentials in this population, 2) which connections are different between this Presymptomatic Carrier (PreC) group and a Non-Carrier (NonC) group performing the same task, and 3) which network connections are predictive of subsequent Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) trajectories. We found 1) a model with hierarchical rather than lateral connections between hemispheres to be optimal, 2) that a pathway from right inferotemporal cortex (IT) to left medial temporal lobe (MTL) was preferentially activated by incongruent items for subjects in the PreC group but not the NonC group, and 3) that increased effective connectivity among left MTL, right IT, and right MTL was predictive of subsequent MMSE scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Penny
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College, London, UK
| | | | - Yakeel T. Quiroz
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Group of Neurosciences, Medical School, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | | | - Maria A. Bobes
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Cuban Neuroscience Center, Havana, Cuba
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
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Hartwigsen G, Saur D. Neuroimaging of stroke recovery from aphasia - Insights into plasticity of the human language network. Neuroimage 2017; 190:14-31. [PMID: 29175498 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of left and right hemisphere brain regions in language recovery after stroke-induced aphasia remains controversial. Here, we summarize how neuroimaging studies increase the current understanding of functional interactions, reorganization and plasticity in the language network. We first discuss the temporal dynamics across the time course of language recovery, with a main focus on longitudinal studies from the acute to the chronic phase after stroke. These studies show that the functional contribution of perilesional and spared left hemisphere as well as contralesional right hemisphere regions to language recovery changes over time. The second section introduces critical variables and recent advances on early prediction of subsequent outcome. In the third section, we outline how multi-method approaches that combine neuroimaging techniques with non-invasive brain stimulation elucidate mechanisms of plasticity and reorganization in the language network. These approaches provide novel insights into general mechanisms of plasticity in the language network and might ultimately support recovery processes during speech and language therapy. Finally, the neurobiological correlates of therapy-induced plasticity are discussed. We argue that future studies should integrate individualized approaches that might vary the combination of language therapy with specific non-invasive brain stimulation protocols across the time course of recovery. The way forward will include the combination of such approaches with large data sets obtained from multicentre studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Hartwigsen
- Research Group Modulation of Language Networks, Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Dorothee Saur
- Language & Aphasia Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Germany.
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Bonilha L, Fridriksson J. Home-based therapy for chronic Wernicke's aphasia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2017; 88:539. [PMID: 28416563 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-315842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Bonilha
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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36
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Berthier ML, De-Torres I, Paredes-Pacheco J, Roé-Vellvé N, Thurnhofer-Hemsi K, Torres-Prioris MJ, Alfaro F, Moreno-Torres I, López-Barroso D, Dávila G. Cholinergic Potentiation and Audiovisual Repetition-Imitation Therapy Improve Speech Production and Communication Deficits in a Person with Crossed Aphasia by Inducing Structural Plasticity in White Matter Tracts. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:304. [PMID: 28659776 PMCID: PMC5470532 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Donepezil (DP), a cognitive-enhancing drug targeting the cholinergic system, combined with massed sentence repetition training augmented and speeded up recovery of speech production deficits in patients with chronic conduction aphasia and extensive left hemisphere infarctions (Berthier et al., 2014). Nevertheless, a still unsettled question is whether such improvements correlate with restorative structural changes in gray matter and white matter pathways mediating speech production. In the present study, we used pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging to study treatment-induced brain changes in gray matter and white matter tracts in a right-handed male with chronic conduction aphasia and a right subcortical lesion (crossed aphasia). A single-patient, open-label multiple-baseline design incorporating two different treatments and two post-treatment evaluations was used. The patient received an initial dose of DP (5 mg/day) which was maintained during 4 weeks and then titrated up to 10 mg/day and administered alone (without aphasia therapy) during 8 weeks (Endpoint 1). Thereafter, the drug was combined with an audiovisual repetition-imitation therapy (Look-Listen-Repeat, LLR) during 3 months (Endpoint 2). Language evaluations, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) were performed at baseline and at both endpoints in JAM and once in 21 healthy control males. Treatment with DP alone and combined with LLR therapy induced marked improvement in aphasia and communication deficits as well as in selected measures of connected speech production, and phrase repetition. The obtained gains in speech production remained well-above baseline scores even 4 months after ending combined therapy. Longitudinal DWI showed structural plasticity in the right frontal aslant tract and direct segment of the arcuate fasciculus with both interventions. VBM revealed no structural changes in other white matter tracts nor in cortical areas linked by these tracts. In conclusion, cholinergic potentiation alone and combined with a model-based aphasia therapy improved language deficits by promoting structural plastic changes in right white matter tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Irene De-Torres
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Unit of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Regional University Hospital, MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - José Paredes-Pacheco
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, General Foundation of the University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Núria Roé-Vellvé
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, General Foundation of the University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Karl Thurnhofer-Hemsi
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, General Foundation of the University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Department of Computer Languages and Computer Science, Superior Technical School of Engineering in Informatics, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - María J Torres-Prioris
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Alfaro
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, General Foundation of the University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moreno-Torres
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Department of Spanish Language I, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Diana López-Barroso
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra ARPA of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of MalagaMalaga, Spain
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