Sandt-Koenderman, M. van de

Long-term prognosis of aphasia after stroke (Article)

2012-10-31T00:00:00Z

Background: The long-term functional outcome of aphasia after stroke is uncertain, even though this information is needed as early as possible for adequate patient care and support. This observational prospective study was aimed at predicting functional outcome at 1 year after stroke. Methods: We examined linguistic components (ScreeLing) and functional verbal communication (Aphasia Severity Rating Scale, ASRS) in 147 aphasic patients. The ScreeLing was administered at 1, 2 and 6 weeks after stroke; the ASRS at 1 week and 1 year. The relationships between linguistic, demographic and stroke characteristics, and good functional outcome at 1 year (ASRS 4 or 5) were examined with logistic regression analyses. Results: The baseline linguistic components (ie, semantics, phonology and syntax) were significant predictors (p<0.001) for 1-year outcome in univariable analyses. In multivariable analysis, these variables explained 46.5% of the variance, with phonology being the only significant predictor (p=0.003). Age, Barthel Index score, educational level and haemorrhagic stroke were identified as other significant predictors of outcome. A prognostic model of these five baseline predictors explained 55.7% of the variance. The internally validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.89, indicating good predictive performance. Adding the degree of phonological recovery between 1 and 6 weeks after stroke to this model increased the explained variance to 65% and the AUC to 0.91. Conclusions: The outcome of aphasia at 1 year after stroke can be predicted in the first week by the phonology score, the Barthel Index score, age, educational level and stroke subtype, with phonology being the strongest predictor. Copyright Article author (or their employer) 2012.

Advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging of language function recovery after aphasic stroke: A technical review (Article)

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging of language function recovery after aphasic stroke: a technical review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2012;93(1 Suppl 1):S4-14. Two advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging techniques, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have recently made their way into clinically oriented research and hold great promise to study the brain's adaptive changes of function and structure after aphasic stroke, respectively. Such functional and structural neuroplasticity is thought to underlie the recovery of language function, occurring spontaneously and/or in the context of therapeutic intervention. With fMRI, brain activity can be visualized. Spontaneous brain activity, present in multiple brain networks, is measured with resting-state fMRI and language-related brain activity by having the subject perform a language task during scanning (task-based fMRI). With DTI the major white matter tracts, such as the dorsal and ventral language pathways and the commissural fibers, can be visualized and quantified. Both techniques are entirely noninvasive and thus offer the unique opportunity to perform multiple assessments within the same subject. To gain more insight in functional and structural neuroplasticity after aphasic stroke, advanced magnetic resonance neuroimaging studies in specific patient populations, at several stages after stroke and in the course of language recovery, are needed. Such studies will help to clarify the influence of the many factors that play a role in the recovery of language function and are thus vital to further the development of aphasia therapy. Application of these techniques in aphasic stroke patients, however, is not without challenge. The purpose of this article is to discuss the methodologic challenges of fMRI and DTI in the assessment of language recovery after aphasic stroke.

Melodic intonation therapy: Present controversies and future opportunities (Article)

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Melodic Intonation Therapy: present controversies and future opportunities. This article describes the state of the art of Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT), a structured aphasia therapy program using the melodic aspects of language (intonation, rhythm, and stress) to improve language production. MIT was developed in the 1970s and is still used worldwide. Nevertheless, we argue that many questions crucial for the clinical application of MIT are still unanswered. First, a review of MIT effect studies is presented showing that evidence from well-designed group studies is still lacking. It is also unclear which aspects of MIT contribute most to its therapeutic effect and which underlying neural mechanisms are involved. Two cases are presented illustrating unsolved questions concerning MIT in clinical practice, such as candidacy and the best timing of this therapy.

Aphasia rehabilitation: More than treating the language disorder (Article)

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aphasia rehabilitation: more than treating the language disorder. This supplement focuses on the neurorehabilitation of language disorders. It offers a broad survey of this field, with state-of-the-art contributions from various disciplines. In doing so, it aims to show that treating the devastating consequences of neurological language disorders requires a prolonged interdisciplinary effort.

Phonology is the strongest language component in predicting aphasia outcome after stroke (Article)

2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

A 3-year evolution of linguistic disorders in aphasia after stroke (Article)

2011-09-01T00:00:00Z

Aphasia recovery after stroke has been the subject of several studies, but in none the deficits on the various linguistic levels were examined, even though in the diagnosis and treatment of aphasia the emphasis lays more and more on these linguistic level disorders. In this observational prospective follow-up study, we explored whether it is meaningful to investigate the recovery of semantics, phonology, and syntax separately. Fifteen patients with aphasia poststroke were assessed at 3 and 10 days, 7 weeks, 4 and 7 months, and 3 years postonset with the ScreeLing, a linguistic level test, the Aphasia Severity Rating Scale (spontaneous speech) and the Token Test. Group results showed improvement for the overall ScreeLing (P<0.01) and its subparts semantics (P<0.01) and syntax (P<0.01) up to 7 weeks, just as the Token Test (P<0.01). Phonology improved up to 4 months (P<0.05) and spontaneous speech up to 7 months (P<0.05). The recovery pattern of the three linguistic levels did not follow a parallel course, with a great deal of variability in linguistic recovery curves between and within patients. These results suggest that it is meaningful to assess the recovery of the linguistic levels separately, starting from the acute stage poststroke.

A case study of melodic intonation therapy (MIT) in the subacute stage of aphasia: Early re-reactivation of left hemisphere structures (Article)

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z