Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Use of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques to Facilitate Recovery from Post-stroke Aphasia

  • Review
  • Published:
Neuropsychology Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aphasia is a common symptom after left hemispheric stroke. Neuroimaging techniques over the last 10–15 years have described two general trends: Patients with small left hemisphere strokes tend to recruit perilesional areas, while patients with large left hemisphere lesions recruit mainly homotopic regions in the right hemisphere. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been employed to facilitate recovery by stimulating lesional and contralesional regions. The majority of these brain stimulation studies have attempted to block homotopic regions in the right posterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) to affect a presumed disinhibited right IFG (triangular portion). Other studies have used anodal or excitatory tDCS to stimulate the contralesional (right) fronto-temporal region or parts of the intact left IFG and perilesional regions to improve speech-motor output. It remains unclear whether the interhemispheric disinhibition model, which is the basis for motor cortex stimulation studies, also applies to the language system. Future studies could address a number of issues, including: the effect of lesion location on current density distribution, timing of the intervention with regard to stroke onset, whether brain stimulation should be combined with behavioral therapy, and whether multiple brain sites should be stimulated. A better understanding of the predictors of recovery from natural outcome studies would also help to inform study design, and the selection of clinically meaningful outcome measures in future studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adkins-Muir, D. L., & Jones, T. A. (2003). Cortical electrical stimulation combined with rehabilitative training: enhanced functional recovery and dendritic plasticity following focal cortical ischemia in rats. Neurological Research, 25, 780–788.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Albert, M. L., Sparks, R. W., & Helm, N. A. (1973). Melodic intonation therapy for aphasia. Archives of Neurology, 29, 130–131.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amunts, K., Lenzen, M., Friederici, A. D., Schleicher, A., Morosan, P., et al. (2010). Broca’s region: novel organizational principles and multiple receptor mapping. PLoS Biology, 8.

  • Baker, J. M., Rorden, C., & Fridriksson, J. (2010). Using transcranial direct-current stimulation to treat stroke patients with aphasia. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation, 41, 1229–1236.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Basso, A., Gardelli, M., Grassi, M. P., & Mariotti, M. (1989). The role of the right hemisphere in recovery from aphasia. Two case studies. Cortex, 25, 555–566.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belin, P., Van Eeckhout, P., Zilbovicius, M., Remy, P., Francois, C., et al. (1996). Recovery from nonfluent aphasia after melodic intonation therapy: a PET study. Neurology, 47, 1504–1511.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhogal, S. K., Teasell, R., & Speechley, M. (2003). Intensity of aphasia therapy, impact on recovery. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation, 34, 987–993.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blasi, V., Young, A. C., Tansy, A. P., Petersen, S. E., Snyder, A. Z., & Corbetta, M. (2002). Word retrieval learning modulates right frontal cortex in patients with left frontal damage. Neuron, 36, 159–170.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonakdarpour, B., Eftekharzadeh, A., & Ashayeri, H. (2000). Preliminary report on the effects of melodic intonation therapy in the rehabilitation of Persion aphasic patients. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 25, 156–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucher, V., Garcia, L. J., Fleurant, J., & Paradis, J. (2001). Variable efficacy of rhythm and tone in melody-based interventions: implications for the assumption of a right-hemisphere facilitation in nonfluent aphasia. Aphasiology, 15, 131–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butefisch, C. M., Wessling, M., Netz, J., Seitz, R. J., & Homberg, V. (2008). Relationship between interhemispheric inhibition and motor cortex excitability in subacute stroke patients. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 22, 4–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calautti, C., & Baron, J. C. (2003). Functional neuroimaging studies of motor recovery after stroke in adults: a review. Stroke, 34, 1553–1566.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cappa, S. F., & Vallar, G. (1992). The role of the left and right hemispheres in recovery from aphasia. Aphasiology, 6, 359–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cappa, S. F., Perani, D., Grassi, F., Bressi, S., Alberoni, M., et al. (1997). A PET follow-up study of recovery after stroke in acute aphasics. Brain and Language, 56, 55–67.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cattaneo, Z., Pisoni, A., & Papagno, C. (2011). Transcranial direct current stimulation over Broca’s region improves phonemic and semantic fluency in healthy individuals. Neuroscience, 183, 64–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Celnik, P., Paik, N. J., Vandermeeren, Y., Dimyan, M., & Cohen, L. G. (2009). Effects of combined peripheral nerve stimulation and brain polarization on performance of a motor sequence task after chronic stroke. Stroke, 40, 1764–1771.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, N. S., & Masse, R. (1993). The application of singing and rhythmic instruction as a therapeutic intervention for persons with neurogenic communication disorders. Journal of Music Therapy, 30, 81–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornelissen, K., Laine, M., Tarkiainen, A., Jarvensivu, T., Martin, N., & Salmelin, R. (2003). Adult brain plasticity elicited by anomia treatment. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15, 444–461.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, S. C., Mark, A., Barquist, K., Nhan, H., Stegbauer, K. C., et al. (2002). Motor cortex activation is preserved in patients with chronic hemiplegic stroke. Annals of Neurology, 52, 607–616.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crosson, B., Moore, A. B., McGregor, K. M., Chang, Y. L., Benjamin, M., et al. (2009). Regional changes in word-production laterality after a naming treatment designed to produce a rightward shift in frontal activity. Brain and Language, 111, 73–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duque, J., Mazzocchio, R., Dambrosia, J., Murase, N., Olivier, E., & Cohen, L. G. (2005). Kinematically specific interhemispheric inhibition operating in the process of generation of a voluntary movement. Cerebral Cortex, 15, 588–593.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fiori, V., Coccia, M., Marinelli, C. V., Vecchi, V., Bonifazi, S., et al. (2011). Transcranial direct current stimulation improves word retrieval in healthy and nonfluent aphasic subjects. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23, 2309–2323.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flöel, A., Meinzer, M., Kirstein, R., Nijhof, S., Deppe, M., et al. (2011). Short-term anomia training and electrical brain stimulation. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation, 42, 2065–2067.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fregni, F., Boggio, P. S., Mansur, C. G., Wagner, T., Ferreira, M. J., et al. (2005). Transcranial direct current stimulation of the unaffected hemisphere in stroke patients. Neuroreport, 16, 1551–1555.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fregni, F., Boggio, P. S., Valle, A. C., Rocha, R. R., Duarte, J., et al. (2006). A sham-controlled trial of a 5-day course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the unaffected hemisphere in stroke patients. Stroke, 37, 2115–2122.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fridriksson, J., Richardson, J. D., Baker, J. M., & Rorden, C. (2011). Transcranial direct current stimulation improves naming reaction time in fluent aphasia: a double-blind, sham-controlled study. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation, 42, 819–821.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fritsch, B., Reis, J., Martinowich, K., Schambra, H. M., Ji, Y., et al. (2010). Direct current stimulation promotes BDNF-dependent synaptic plasticity: potential implications for motor learning. Neuron, 66, 198–204.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gandiga, P. C., Hummel, F. C., & Cohen, L. G. (2006). Transcranial DC stimulation (tDCS): a tool for double-blind sham-controlled clinical studies in brain stimulation. Clinical Neurophysiology, 117, 845–850.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerstman, H. L. (1964). A case of aphasia. The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 29, 89–91.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geschwind, N. (1971). Current concepts: aphasia. The New England Journal of Medicine, 284, 654–656.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, R. H., Chrysikou, E. G., & Coslett, B. (2011). Mechanisms of aphasia recovery after stroke and the role of noninvasive brain stimulation. Brain and Language, 118, 40–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, R. H., Sanders, L., Benson, J., Faseyitan, O., Norise, C., et al. (2010). Stimulating conversation: enhancement of elicited propositional speech in a patient with chronic non-fluent aphasia following transcranial magnetic stimulation. Brain and Language, 113, 45–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hattori, Y., Moriwaki, A., & Hori, Y. (1990). Biphasic effects of polarizing current on adenosine-sensitive generation of cyclic AMP in rat cerebral cortex. Neuroscience Letters, 116, 320–324.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert, S., Racette, A., Gagnon, L., & Peretz, I. (2003). Revisiting the dissociation between singing and speaking in expressive aphasia. Brain, 126, 1838–1850.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heiss, W. D., Kessler, J., Thiel, A., Ghaemi, M., & Karbe, H. (1999). Differential capacity of left and right hemispheric areas for compensation of poststroke aphasia. Annals of Neurology, 45, 430–438.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heiss, W. D., & Thiel, A. (2006). A proposed regional hierarchy in recovery of post-stroke aphasia. Brain and Language, 98, 118–123.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Helm-Estabrooks, N., Nicholas, M., & Morgan, A. (1989). Melodic intonation therapy. Austin: Pro-Ed.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hesse, S., Werner, C., Schonhardt, E. M., Bardeleben, A., Jenrich, W., & Kirker, S. G. (2007). Combined transcranial direct current stimulation and robot-assisted arm training in subacute stroke patients: a pilot study. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 25, 9–15.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hillis, A. E. (2007). Aphasia: progress in the last quarter of a century. Neurology, 69, 200–213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hiscock, A., Miller, S., Rothwell, J., Tallis, R. C., & Pomeroy, V. M. (2007). Informing dose-finding studies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance motor function: a qualitative systematic review. Neurorehabil Neural Repair.

  • Hummel, F., & Cohen, L. G. (2005). Improvement of motor function with noninvasive cortical stimulation in a patient with chronic stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 19, 14–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hummel, F., Celnik, P., Giraux, P., Floel, A., Wu, W. H., et al. (2005). Effects of non-invasive cortical stimulation on skilled motor function in chronic stroke. Brain, 128, 490–499.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Humphreys, G. W., & Praamstra, P. (2002). Magnetic stimulation reveals the distribution of language in a normal population. Nature Neuroscience, 5, 613–614.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, N., Aftabuddin, M., Moriwaki, A., Hattori, Y., & Hori, Y. (1995). Increase in the calcium level following anodal polarization in the rat brain. Brain Research, 684, 206–208.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iyer, M. B., Mattu, U., Grafman, J., Lomarev, M., Sato, S., & Wassermann, E. M. (2005). Safety and cognitive effect of frontal DC brain polarization in healthy individuals. Neurology, 64, 872–875.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen-Berg, H., Rushworth, M. F., Bogdanovic, M. D., Kischka, U., Wimalaratna, S., & Matthews, P. M. (2002). The role of ipsilateral premotor cortex in hand movement after stroke. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99, 14518–14523.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kakuda, W., Abo, M., Kaito, N., Watanabe, M., & Senoo, A. (2010). Functional MRI-based therapeutic rTMS strategy for aphasic stroke patients: a case series pilot study. International Journal of Neuroscience, 120, 60–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karbe, H., Thiel, A., Weber-Luxenburger, G., Herholz, K., Kessler, J., & Heiss, W. D. (1998). Brain plasticity in poststroke aphasia: what is the contribution of the right hemisphere? Brain and Language, 64, 215–230.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keith, R. L., & Aronson, A. E. (1975). Singing as therapy for apraxia of speech and aphasia: report of a case. Brain and Language, 2, 483–488.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kertesz, A., & McCabe, P. (1977). Recovery patterns and prognosis in aphasia. Brain, 100(Pt 1), 1–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kertesz, A., Lesk, D., & McCabe, P. (1977). Isotope localization of infarcts in aphasia. Archives of Neurology, 34, 590–601.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kertesz, A., Harlock, W., & Coates, R. (1979). Computer tomographic localization, lesion size, and prognosis in aphasia and nonverbal impairment. Brain and Language, 8, 34–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khedr, E. M., Ahmed, M. A., Fathy, N., & Rothwell, J. C. (2005). Therapeutic trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation after acute ischemic stroke. Neurology, 65, 466–468.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. H., You, S. H., Ko, M. H., Park, J. W., Lee, K. H., et al. (2006). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced corticomotor excitability and associated motor skill acquisition in chronic stroke. Stroke, 37, 1471–1476.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kinsbourne, M. (1998). The right hemisphere and recovery from aphasia. In B. Stemmer & H. A. Whitaker (Eds.), Handbook of neurolinguistics (pp. 386–393). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsella, G., Prior, M. R., & Murray, G. (1988). Singing ability after right and left sided brain damage. A research note. Cortex, 24, 165–169.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschner, J., Moll, G. H., Fietzek, U. M., Heinrich, H., Mall, V., et al. (2003). Methylphenidate enhances both intracortical inhibition and facilitation in healthy adults. Pharmacopsychiatry, 36, 79–82.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knecht, S., Flöel, A., Drager, B., Breitenstein, C., Sommer, J., et al. (2002). Degree of language lateralization determines susceptibility to unilateral brain lesions. Nature Neuroscience, 5, 695–699.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo, M. F., Paulus, W., & Nitsche, M. A. (2008). Boosting focally-induced brain plasticity by dopamine. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 648–651.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, N., Siebner, H. R., Ward, N. S., Lee, L., Nitsche, M. A., et al. (2005). How does transcranial DC stimulation of the primary motor cortex alter regional neuronal activity in the human brain? European Journal of Neuroscience, 22, 495–504.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, N., Speck, S., Harms, J., Rothkegel, H., Paulus, W., & Sommer, M. (2008). Dopaminergic potentiation of rTMS-induced motor cortex inhibition. Biological Psychiatry, 63, 231–233.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lazar, R. M., & Antoniello, D. (2008). Variability in recovery from aphasia. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 8, 497–502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lazar, R. M., Minzer, B., Antoniello, D., Festa, J. R., Krakauer, J. W., & Marshall, R. S. (2010). Improvement in aphasia scores after stroke is well predicted by initial severity. Stroke, 41, 1485–1488.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liebetanz, D., Nitsche, M. A., & Paulus, W. (2003). Pharmacology of transcranial direct current stimulation: missing effect of riluzole. Supplements to Clinical Neurophysiology, 56, 282–287.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenberg, R., Renga, V., Zhu, L. L., Nair, D., & Schlaug, G. (2010). Bihemispheric brain stimulation facilitates motor recovery in chronic stroke patients. Neurology, 75, 2176–2184.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lotze, M., Markert, J., Sauseng, P., Hoppe, J., Plewnia, C., & Gerloff, C. (2006). The role of multiple contralesional motor areas for complex hand movements after internal capsular lesion. Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 6096–6102.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loubinoux, I., Carel, C., Pariente, J., Dechaumont, S., Albucher, J. F., et al. (2003). Correlation between cerebral reorganization and motor recovery after subcortical infarcts. NeuroImage, 20, 2166–2180.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm, M. P., Triggs, W. J., Light, K. E., Gonzalez Rothi, L. J., Wu, S., et al. (2007). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as an adjunct to constraint-induced therapy: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. American journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation / Association of Academic Physiatrists, 86, 707–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mansur, C. G., Fregni, F., Boggio, P. S., Riberto, M., Gallucci-Neto, J., et al. (2005). A sham stimulation-controlled trial of rTMS of the unaffected hemisphere in stroke patients. Neurology, 64, 1802–1804.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marchina, S., Zhu, L. L., Norton, A., Zipse, L., Wan, C. Y., & Schlaug, G. (2011). Impairment of speech production predicted by lesion load of the left arcuate fasciculus. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation.

  • Martin, P. I., Naeser, M. A., Theoret, H., Tormos, J. M., Nicholas, M., et al. (2004). Transcranial magnetic stimulation as a complementary treatment for aphasia. Seminars in Speech and Language, 25, 181–191.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P. I., Naeser, M. A., Ho, M., Doron, K. W., Kurland, J., et al. (2009). Overt naming fMRI pre- and post-TMS: two nonfluent aphasia patients, with and without improved naming post-TMS. Brain and Language, 111, 20–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mimura, M., Kato, M., Sano, Y., Kojima, T., Naeser, M., & Kashima, H. (1998). Prospective and retrospective studies of recovery in aphasia. Changes in cerebral blood flow and language functions. Brain, 121(Pt 11), 2083–2094.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, P. C., Lomarev, M., & Hallett, M. (2006). Modeling the current distribution during transcranial direct current stimulation. Clinical Neurophysiology, 117, 1623–1629.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr, J. P., Pessin, M. S., Finkelstein, S., Funkenstein, H. H., Duncan, G. W., & Davis, K. R. (1978). Broca aphasia: pathologic and clinical. Neurology, 28, 311–324.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monti, A., Cogiamanian, F., Marceglia, S., Ferrucci, R., Mameli, F., et al. (2008). Improved naming after transcranial direct current stimulation in aphasia. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 79, 451–453.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moriwaki, A. (1991). Polarizing currents increase noradrenaline-elicited accumulation of cyclic AMP in rat cerebral cortex. Brain Research, 544, 248–252.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moss, A., & Nicholas, M. (2006). Language rehabilitation in chronic aphasia and time postonset: a review of single-subject data. Stroke, 37, 3043–3051.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murase, N., Duque, J., Mazzocchio, R., & Cohen, L. (2004). Influence of interhemispheric interactions on motor function in chronic stroke. Annals of Neurology, 55, 400–409.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Musso, M., Weiller, C., Kiebel, S., Muller, S. P., Bulau, P., & Rijntjes, M. (1999). Training-induced brain plasticity in aphasia. Brain, 122(Pt 9), 1781–1790.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Naeser, M. A., Martin, P. I., Nicholas, M., Baker, E. H., Seekins, H., et al. (2005a). Improved naming after TMS treatments in a chronic, global aphasia patient–case report. Neurocase, 11, 182–193.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Naeser, M. A., Martin, P. I., Nicholas, M., Baker, E. H., Seekins, H., et al. (2005b). Improved picture naming in chronic aphasia after TMS to part of right Broca’s area: an open-protocol study. Brain and Language, 93, 95–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Naeser, M. A., Martin, P. I., Treglia, E., Ho, M., Kaplan, E., et al. (2010). Research with rTMS in the treatment of aphasia. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 28, 511–529.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nair, D. G., Hutchinson, S., Fregni, F., Alexander, M., Pascual-Leone, A., & Schlaug, G. (2007). Imaging correlates of motor recovery from cerebral infarction and their physiological significance in well-recovered patients. NeuroImage, 34, 253–263.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholas, M. L., Helm-Estabrooks, N., Ward-Lonergan, J., & Morgan, A. R. (1993). Evolution of severe aphasia in the first two years post onset. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 74, 830–836.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nitsche, M. A., & Paulus, W. (2000). Excitability changes induced in the human motor cortex by weak transcranial direct current stimulation. The Journal of Physiology, 527(Pt 3), 633–639.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nitsche, M. A., & Paulus, W. (2001). Sustained excitability elevations induced by transcranial DC motor cortex stimulation in humans. Neurology, 57, 1899–1901.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Norton, A., Zipse, L., Marchina, S., & Schlaug, G. (2009). Melodic intonation therapy: shared insights on how it is done and why it might help. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169, 431–436.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak, D. A., Grefkes, C., Dafotakis, M., Eickhoff, S., Kust, J., et al. (2008). Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the contralesional primary motor cortex on movement kinematics and neural activity in subcortical stroke. Archives of Neurology, 65, 741–747.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nucifora, P. G., Verma, R., Melhem, E. R., Gur, R. E., & Gur, R. C. (2005). Leftward asymmetry in relative fiber density of the arcuate fasciculus. Neuroreport, 16, 791–794.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nudo, R. J. (2006). Mechanisms for recovery of motor function following cortical damage. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 16, 638–644.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nudo, R. J., & Friel, K. M. (1999). Cortical plasticity after stroke: implications for rehabilitation. Revista de Neurologia (Paris), 155, 713–717.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ozdemir, E., Norton, A., & Schlaug, G. (2006). Shared and distinct neural correlates of singing and speaking. NeuroImage, 33, 628–635.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, P. M., Jorgensen, H. S., Nakayama, H., Raaschou, H. O., & Olsen, T. S. (1995). Aphasia in acute stroke: incidence, determinants, and recovery. Annals of Neurology, 38, 659–666.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, P. M., Vinter, K., & Olsen, T. S. (2004). Aphasia after stroke: type, severity and prognosis. The Copenhagen aphasia study. Cerebrovascular Diseases, 17, 35–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pomeroy, V. M., Cloud, G., Tallis, R. C., Donaldson, C., Nayak, V., & Miller, S. (2007). Transcranial magnetic stimulation and muscle contraction to enhance stroke recovery: a randomized proof-of-principle and feasibility investigation. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 21, 509–517.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poreisz, C., Boros, K., Antal, A., & Paulus, W. (2007). Safety aspects of transcranial direct current stimulation concerning healthy subjects and patients. Brain Research Bulletin, 72, 208–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Priori, A., Berardelli, A., Rona, S., Accornero, N., & Manfredi, M. (1998). Polarization of the human motor cortex through the scalp. Neuroreport, 9, 2257–2260.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Priori, A., Egidi, M., Pesenti, A., Rohr, M., Rampini, P., et al. (2003). Do intraoperative microrecordings improve subthalamic nucleus targeting in stereotactic neurosurgery for Parkinson’s disease? Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences, 47, 56–60.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rioult-Pedotti, M. S., Friedman, D., & Donoghue, J. P. (2000). Learning-induced LTP in neocortex. Science, 290, 533–536.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robey, R. R. (1994). The efficacy of treatment for aphasic persons: a meta-analysis. Brain and Language, 47, 582–608.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, H. J., Petersen, S. E., Linenweber, M. R., Snyder, A. Z., White, D. A., et al. (2000). Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after damage to left inferior frontal cortex. Neurology, 55, 1883–1894.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saur, D., Lange, R., Baumgaertner, A., Schraknepper, V., Willmes, K., et al. (2006). Dynamics of language reorganization after stroke. Brain, 129, 1371–1384.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaug, G., Marchina, S., & Norton, A. (2008). From singing to speaking: why patients with Broca’s aphasia can sing and how that may lead to recovery of expressive language functions. Music Perception, 25, 315–323.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaug, G., Renga, V., & Nair, D. (2008). Transcranial direct current stimulation in stroke recovery. Archives of Neurology, 65, 1571–1576.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaug, G., Marchina, S., & Norton, A. (2009a). Evidence for plasticity in white-matter tracts of patients with chronic Broca’s aphasia undergoing intense intonation-based speech therapy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169, 385–394.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaug, G., Marchina, S., & Norton, A. (2009b). Evidence for plasticity in white-matter tracts of patients with chronic Broca’s aphasia underoing intense intonation-based speech therapy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169, 385–394.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaug, G., Norton, A., Marchina, S., Zipse, L., & Wan, C. Y. (2010). From singing to speaking: facilitating recovery from nonfluent aphasia. Future Neurology, 5, in press.

  • Selnes, O. A. (1999). Recovery from aphasia: activating the “right” hemisphere. Annals of Neurology, 45, 419–420.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu, T., Hosaki, A., Hino, T., Sato, M., Komori, T., et al. (2002). Motor cortical disinhibition in the unaffected hemisphere after unilateral cortical stroke. Brain, 125, 1896–1907.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Small, S. L., Flores, D. K., & Noll, D. C. (1998). Different neural circuits subserve reading before and after therapy for acquired dyslexia. Brain and Language, 62, 298–308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, R. W., & Holland, A. L. (1976). Method: melodic intonation therapy for aphasia. The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 41, 287–297.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, R., Helm, N., & Albert, M. (1974). Aphasia rehabilitation resulting from melodic intonation therapy. Cortex, 10, 303–316.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stefan, K., Kunesch, E., Cohen, L. G., Benecke, R., & Classen, J. (2000). Induction of plasticity in the human motor cortex by paired associative stimulation. Brain, 123(Pt 3), 572–584.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stefan, K., Kunesch, E., Benecke, R., Cohen, L. G., & Classen, J. (2002). Mechanisms of enhancement of human motor cortex excitability induced by interventional paired associative stimulation. The Journal of Physiology, 543, 699–708.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stefan, K., Classen, J., Celnik, P., & Cohen, L. G. (2008). Concurrent action observation modulates practice-induced motor memory formation. European Journal of Neuroscience, 27, 730–738.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takeuchi, N., Chuma, T., Matsuo, Y., Watanabe, I., & Ikoma, K. (2005). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of contralesional primary motor cortex improves hand function after stroke. Stroke, 36, 2681–2686.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Talelli, P., Greenwood, R. J., & Rothwell, J. C. (2007). Exploring Theta Burst Stimulation as an intervention to improve motor recovery in chronic stroke. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 333–342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thiel, A., Habedank, B., Herholz, K., Kessler, J., Winhuisen, L., et al. (2006). From the left to the right: how the brain compensates progressive loss of language function. Brain and Language, 98, 57–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, C. K., & Shapiro, L. P. (2005). Treating agrammatic aphasia within a linguistic framework: treatment of underlying forms. Aphasiology, 19, 1021–1036.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, C. K., & Shapiro, L. P. (2007). Complexity in treatment of syntactic deficits. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 16, 30–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turkeltaub, P. E., Messing, S., Norise, C., & Hamilton, R. H. (2011). Are networks for residual language function and recovery consistent across aphasic patients? Neurology, 76, 1726–1734.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vargha-Khadem, F., Carr, L. J., Isaacs, E., Brett, E., Adams, C., & Mishkin, M. (1997). Onset of speech after left hemispherectomy in a nine-year-old boy. Brain, 120(Pt 1), 159–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vernooij, M. W., Smits, M., Wielopolski, P. A., Houston, G. C., Krestin, G. P., & van der Lugt, A. (2007). Fiber density asymmetry of the arcuate fasciculus in relation to functional hemispheric language lateralization in both right- and left-handed healthy subjects: a combined fMRI and DTI study. NeuroImage, 35, 1064–1076.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vines, B. W., Cerruti, C., & Schlaug, G. (2008). Dual-hemisphere tDCS facilitates greater improvements for healthy subjects’ non-dominant hand compared to uni-hemisphere stimulation. BMC Neuroscience, 9, 103.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vines, B. W., Norton, A. C., & Schlaug, G. (2009). Stimulating music: Combining melodic intonation therapy with transcranial DC stimulation to facilitate speech recovery after stroke. In S. Shioda, I. Homma, & N. Kato (Eds.), Transmitters and modulators in health and disease. New frontiers in neuroscience (pp. 103–114). Tokyo: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vines, B. W., Norton, A. C., & Schlaug, G. (2011). Non-invasive brain stimulation enhances the effects of melodic intonation therapy. Frontiers in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience under review.

  • Wade, D. T., Hewer, R. L., David, R. M., & Enderby, P. M. (1986). Aphasia after stroke: natural history and associated deficits. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 49, 11–16.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, T., Fregni, F., Fecteau, S., Grodzinsky, A., Zahn, M., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2007). Transcranial direct current stimulation: a computer-based human model study. NeuroImage, 35, 1113–1124.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warburton, E., Price, C. J., Swinburn, K., & Wise, R. J. (1999). Mechanisms of recovery from aphasia: evidence from positron emission tomography studies. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 66, 155–161.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, N. S., & Cohen, L. G. (2004). Mechanisms underlying recovery of motor function after stroke. Archives of Neurology, 61, 1844–1848.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, B. R., Celnik, P. A., & Cohen, L. G. (2006). Noninvasive brain stimulation in stroke rehabilitation. NeuroRx, 3, 474–481.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiduschat, N., Thiel, A., Rubi-Fessen, I., Hartmann, A., Kessler, J., et al. (2011). Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in aphasic stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study. Stroke, 42, 409–415.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiller, C., Isensee, C., Rijntjes, M., Huber, W., Muller, S., et al. (1995). Recovery from Wernicke’s aphasia: a positron emission tomographic study. Annals of Neurology, 37, 723–732.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winhuisen, L., Thiel, A., Schumacher, B., Kessler, J., Rudolf, J., et al. (2005). Role of the contralateral inferior frontal gyrus in recovery of language function in poststroke aphasia: a combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and positron emission tomography study. Stroke, 36, 1759–1763.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winhuisen, L., Thiel, A., Schumacher, B., Kessler, J., Rudolf, J., et al. (2007). The right inferior frontal gyrus and poststroke aphasia: a follow-up investigation. Stroke, 38, 1286–1292.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamadori, A., Osumi, Y., Masuhara, S., & Okubo, M. (1977). Preservation of singing in Broca’s aphasia. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 40, 221–224.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yozbatiran, N., Alonso-Alonso, M., See, J., Demirtas-Tatlidede, A., Luu, D., et al. (2009). Safety and behavioral effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in stroke. Stroke, 40, 309–312.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, X., Alsop, D. C., & Schlaug, G. (2011). Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on human regional cerebral blood flow. NeuroImage, 58, 26–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to GS (R01 DC008796). GS also acknowledges support from the Mary Crown and William Ellis Family Fund and the Rosalyn and Richard Slifka Family Fund. CYW acknowledges support from the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Research Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratories, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Palmer 127, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Gottfried Schlaug, Sarah Marchina & Catherine Y. Wan

Authors
  1. Gottfried Schlaug
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Marchina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Y. Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gottfried Schlaug.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schlaug, G., Marchina, S. & Wan, C.Y. The Use of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques to Facilitate Recovery from Post-stroke Aphasia. Neuropsychol Rev 21, 288–301 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-011-9181-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-011-9181-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation