Plasticity of Language-Related Brain Function During Recovery From Stroke

• DOI: 10.1161/01.str.30.4.749
• Publication Date: 2011-06-17T20:10:52Z
• Authors: Keith R. Thulborn; Patricia A. Carpe...; Marcel A. Just
• Keywords: Stroke; Stroke Recovery

This study was undertaken to correlate functional recovery from aphasia after acute stroke with the temporal evolution of anatomic, physiological, and changes as measured by MRI.Blood oxygenation level-dependent contrast echo-planar MRI were used map language comprehension in 6 normal adults 2 adult patients during presenting aphasia. Perfusion, diffusion, sodium, conventional anatomic follow physiological structural changes.The activation pattern for showed predominately left-sided Wernicke's Broca's areas, laterality ratios 0.8 0.3, respectively. Recovery patient confirmed having a completed affecting area occurred rapidly shift homologous region right hemisphere within 3 days, continued rightward lateralization over months. In second patient, whom mapping performed fortuitously before stroke, similar increasing recruitment 9 months event.Recovery can occur is concomitant an that left hemispheric pattern. Such occurs even when evolves completion. plasticity must be considered evaluating interventions based on behavioral neurological measurements.