Changes in Language-specific Brain Activation after Therapy for Aphasia using Magnetoencephalography: A Case Study

Abstract

A patient with chronic aphasia underwent functional imaging during a language comprehension task using magnetoencephalography (MEG) before and after constraint induced language therapy (CILT). In the pre- and immediate post-treatment (TX) scans MEG activity sources were observed within right hemisphere only, and were located in areas homotopic to left hemisphere language areas. There was a significant increase in activation in these areas between the two sessions. This change was not observed in an age-matched patient with chronic aphasia who underwent sequential language testing and MEG scanning across a similar time period without being administered therapy. In the 3-month post-TX scan bilateral activation was observed, including significant activation within the left temporal lobe. The changes in the spatial parameters of the maps of receptive language function after therapy were accompanied by improvement in language function. Results provide support, in the same individual, for a role for both hemispheres in recovery of language function after therapy for chronic aphasia.

Keywords:

• Stroke
• aphasia
• constraint induced language therapy
• magnetoencephalography
• diffusion tensor imaging

The authors would like to thank Disheng Men, MD, PhD for her invaluable help in collecting and processing the data presented here. This work was supported by NI H/NINDS Grant #P51-NS046588 to A.C. Papanicolaou.

Notes

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