Lecture in the C-STAR series, by Natalie Busby, PhD (University of South Carolina, delivered on January 13th, 2022.
Abstract:
It is often reported that language deficits in stroke aphasia remain stable after the initial phase of spontaneous recovery, however there is growing evidence from studies in the chronic phase that behavioral improvement can occur long into the chronic stages of recovery. Still, patterns of aphasic impairments and recovery trajectories are highly variable and factors that influence deficits and recovery are incompletely understood. While the size and location of the stroke lesion have been found to be important determinants, they explain only part of the variance. For this reason, individualized diagnosis, treatment planning, and long-term outcome prediction remains suboptimal.
It stands to reason that aphasia severity and recovery depends on the status of the brain tissue spared by the stroke. Many stroke survivors have risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, such as increased age, diabetes, and hypertension, and while these are risk factors for stroke, they are also important risk for small vessel disease, a marker of lowered structural brain health. Small vessel disease has been associated with larger ischemic lesion volumes and worse stroke outcomes but the relationship between small vessel disease and chronic aphasia still warrants further investigation. Here I will present some current research investigating the role of health factors and brain health beyond the lesion in chronic stroke aphasia.
UofSC Aphasia Lab: web.asph.sc.edu/aphasia/
18 янв 2022
