Predicting Recovery from Bilingual Aphasia with Rehabilitation Using Neurophysiological and Neuroimaging Techniques

Research Objectives: To identify key neurophysiological and neuroimaging correlates of language recovery in bilingual aphasics undergoing rehabilitation.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal observational study.

Setting: A tertiary rehabilitation facility in Singapore.

Participants: 50 bilingual patients in English and Mandarin Chinese over a 1-year period.

Interventions: Standard of care speech and language therapy delivered one-on-one using techniques such as Semantic Feature Analysis and Verb Network Strengthening Treatment.

Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes in overall language function Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient and performance in the bilingual Singapore Aphasia Test (SGAT).
Secondary outcome measures will include the Stroke and Aphasia QOL Scale (SAQOL-39g) and the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures (AusTOMs) scale for speech and language.

Results: Longitudinal changes in neurophysiological parameters of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for corticomotor excitability, High-Definition Electroencephalography in overt and covert speech, and resting state functional MRI with Diffusion Tensor Imaging at two time points: baseline (within 3 weeks - 3 months post-stroke) and follow-up (at 6 months to 1 year post-stroke) which are correlated with improvements in overall language function.

Conclusions: A follow-up study will be needed to guide future applications of these neurophysiological correlates of aphasia recovery on personalizing non-invasive brain stimulation as an adjunctive therapy for post-stroke rehabilitation.

Author(s) Disclosures: No conflict of interest