Article

The majority of studies investigating the neural mechanisms
underlying treatment-induced recovery in aphasia have focused on the cortical
regions associated with language processing. However, the integrity of the white
matter connecting these regions may also be crucial to understanding treatment
mechanisms.This study investigated the integrity of the arcuate
fasciculus (AF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF) before and after treatment for
anomia in people with aphasia. METHOD: Eight people with aphasia received 12
treatment sessions to improve naming; alternating between phonologically-based
and semantic-based tasks, with high angular resolution diffusion imaging
conducted pre and post treatment. The mean generalized fractional anisotropy
(GFA), a measure of fiber integrity, and number of fibers in the AF and UF were
compared pre and post treatment, as well as with a group of 14 healthy older
controls. RESULTS: Pre treatment, participants with aphasia had significantly
fewer fibers and lower mean GFA in the left AF compared with controls. Post
treatment, mean GFA increased in the left AF to be statistically equivalent to
controls. Additionally, mean GFA in the left AF pre and post treatment positively
correlated with maintenance of the phonologically based treatment. No differences
were found in the right AF, or the UF in either hemisphere, between participants
with aphasia and controls, and no changes were observed in these tracts following
treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Anomia treatments may improve the integrity of the white
matter connecting cortical language regions. These preliminary results add to the
understanding of the mechanisms underlying treatment outcomes in people with
aphasia post stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS