Epidural electrical stimulation for the treatment of chronic poststroke aphasia: still compulsory 6 years later!

Abstract

Implanted cortical stimulation is foreseen to facilitate functional poststroke recovery. Until now, no study has concluded on its pathophysiological mechanism. We report a case of a 58-year-old patient for whom cortical stimulation triggered a drastic enhancement of speech performances. The effects remain reversible after 6 years of stimulation, reflecting intra/inter-hemispheric modulation.

Keywords::

• aphasia
• cortical stimulation
• functional neurosurgery
• neurorehabilitation
• stroke
• transcallosal inhibition

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in the present article. The authors certify that no funding has been received for the conduct of this study and preparation of the manuscript.