Structural Changes in the Arcuate Fasciculus and Recovery of Post-stroke Aphasia: A 6-Month Follow-up Study using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Cho Rong Bae; Yoonhye Na; Minjae Cho; Yu Mi Hwang; Woo Suk Tae; Sung Bom Pyun

doi:10.1177/15459683221121752

Structural Changes in the Arcuate Fasciculus and Recovery of Post-stroke Aphasia: A 6-Month Follow-up Study using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Cho Rong Bae, Yoonhye Na, Minjae Cho, Yu Mi Hwang, Woo Suk Tae, Sung Bom Pyun

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Temporal changes in the structural connectivity of major language tracts after stroke and their contribution to aphasia recovery are unclear. Objective: To investigate longitudinal arcuate fasciculus (AF) integrity changes and their relationship with post-stroke aphasia recovery using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Thirty-five patients with aphasia due to first-ever left hemispheric stroke underwent the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery and DTI at 1- and 6-month post stroke onset. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) of both AF tracts were analyzed to evaluate the temporal changes in tract integrity and determine the correlation between changes (Δ; follow-up − initial) in DTI parameters and language scores. Results: At 6 months post-stroke, the mean FA decreased, and mean MD and RD increased in both hemispheres; however, compared with mean AD observed after 1 month, the mean observed at 6 months increased only in the left hemisphere (P <.05). ΔFA of the left AF and proportional change in the aphasia quotient showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.365, P =.031). No correlation was found between changes in the right AF parameters and language score. The group with increased FA in the left AF showed more significant language improvement than the group with decreased FA. Conclusions: During the subacute stage, the integrity of AF decreased in both hemispheres in patients with aphasia, and the change in structural connectivity of the left AF was associated with language improvement.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	633-644
Number of pages	12
Journal	Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
Volume	36
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/15459683221121752
Publication status	Published - 2022 Sept

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank all the participants and colleagues of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Korea University Anam Hospital for their contributions to this research. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673).

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673).

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.

Keywords

aphasia
diffusion tensor imaging
neuroimaging
recovery of function
stroke
white matter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Rehabilitation
Neurology
Clinical Neurology

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10.1177/15459683221121752

Cite this

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title = "Structural Changes in the Arcuate Fasciculus and Recovery of Post-stroke Aphasia: A 6-Month Follow-up Study using Diffusion Tensor Imaging",

abstract = "Background: Temporal changes in the structural connectivity of major language tracts after stroke and their contribution to aphasia recovery are unclear. Objective: To investigate longitudinal arcuate fasciculus (AF) integrity changes and their relationship with post-stroke aphasia recovery using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Thirty-five patients with aphasia due to first-ever left hemispheric stroke underwent the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery and DTI at 1- and 6-month post stroke onset. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) of both AF tracts were analyzed to evaluate the temporal changes in tract integrity and determine the correlation between changes (Δ; follow-up − initial) in DTI parameters and language scores. Results: At 6 months post-stroke, the mean FA decreased, and mean MD and RD increased in both hemispheres; however, compared with mean AD observed after 1 month, the mean observed at 6 months increased only in the left hemisphere (P <.05). ΔFA of the left AF and proportional change in the aphasia quotient showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.365, P =.031). No correlation was found between changes in the right AF parameters and language score. The group with increased FA in the left AF showed more significant language improvement than the group with decreased FA. Conclusions: During the subacute stage, the integrity of AF decreased in both hemispheres in patients with aphasia, and the change in structural connectivity of the left AF was associated with language improvement.",

keywords = "aphasia, diffusion tensor imaging, neuroimaging, recovery of function, stroke, white matter",

author = "Bae, {Cho Rong} and Yoonhye Na and Minjae Cho and Hwang, {Yu Mi} and Tae, {Woo Suk} and Pyun, {Sung Bom}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank all the participants and colleagues of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Korea University Anam Hospital for their contributions to this research. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673). Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2022.",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1177/15459683221121752",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

pages = "633--644",

journal = "Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair",

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T1 - Structural Changes in the Arcuate Fasciculus and Recovery of Post-stroke Aphasia

T2 - A 6-Month Follow-up Study using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

AU - Bae, Cho Rong

AU - Na, Yoonhye

AU - Cho, Minjae

AU - Hwang, Yu Mi

AU - Tae, Woo Suk

AU - Pyun, Sung Bom

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank all the participants and colleagues of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Korea University Anam Hospital for their contributions to this research. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673). Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2B5B02001673). Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022.

PY - 2022/9

Y1 - 2022/9

N2 - Background: Temporal changes in the structural connectivity of major language tracts after stroke and their contribution to aphasia recovery are unclear. Objective: To investigate longitudinal arcuate fasciculus (AF) integrity changes and their relationship with post-stroke aphasia recovery using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Thirty-five patients with aphasia due to first-ever left hemispheric stroke underwent the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery and DTI at 1- and 6-month post stroke onset. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) of both AF tracts were analyzed to evaluate the temporal changes in tract integrity and determine the correlation between changes (Δ; follow-up − initial) in DTI parameters and language scores. Results: At 6 months post-stroke, the mean FA decreased, and mean MD and RD increased in both hemispheres; however, compared with mean AD observed after 1 month, the mean observed at 6 months increased only in the left hemisphere (P <.05). ΔFA of the left AF and proportional change in the aphasia quotient showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.365, P =.031). No correlation was found between changes in the right AF parameters and language score. The group with increased FA in the left AF showed more significant language improvement than the group with decreased FA. Conclusions: During the subacute stage, the integrity of AF decreased in both hemispheres in patients with aphasia, and the change in structural connectivity of the left AF was associated with language improvement.

AB - Background: Temporal changes in the structural connectivity of major language tracts after stroke and their contribution to aphasia recovery are unclear. Objective: To investigate longitudinal arcuate fasciculus (AF) integrity changes and their relationship with post-stroke aphasia recovery using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Thirty-five patients with aphasia due to first-ever left hemispheric stroke underwent the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery and DTI at 1- and 6-month post stroke onset. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) of both AF tracts were analyzed to evaluate the temporal changes in tract integrity and determine the correlation between changes (Δ; follow-up − initial) in DTI parameters and language scores. Results: At 6 months post-stroke, the mean FA decreased, and mean MD and RD increased in both hemispheres; however, compared with mean AD observed after 1 month, the mean observed at 6 months increased only in the left hemisphere (P <.05). ΔFA of the left AF and proportional change in the aphasia quotient showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.365, P =.031). No correlation was found between changes in the right AF parameters and language score. The group with increased FA in the left AF showed more significant language improvement than the group with decreased FA. Conclusions: During the subacute stage, the integrity of AF decreased in both hemispheres in patients with aphasia, and the change in structural connectivity of the left AF was associated with language improvement.

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KW - neuroimaging

KW - recovery of function

KW - stroke

KW - white matter

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Structural Changes in the Arcuate Fasciculus and Recovery of Post-stroke Aphasia: A 6-Month Follow-up Study using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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