Predicting Recovery From Bilingual Aphasia With Rehabilitation Using Neurophysiological and Neuroimaging Techniques

<h3>Objectives</h3> To identify key neurophysiological and neuroimaging correlates of language recovery in bilingual aphasics undergoing rehabilitation. <h3>Design</h3> Prospective, longitudinal observational study. <h3>Setting</h3> A tertiary rehabilitation facility in Singapore.. <h3>Participants</h3> Patients (N=50) bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese over a 1-year period. <h3>Interventions</h3> Standard of care speech and language therapy delivered 1-on-1 using techniques such as Semantic Feature Analysis and Verb Network Strengthening Treatment. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Primary outcomes in overall language function include the Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient and performance in the bilingual Singapore Aphasia Test. Secondary outcome measures include the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale and the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures scale for speech and language. <h3>Results</h3> Longitudinal changes in neurophysiological parameters of transcranial magnetic stimulation for corticomotor excitability, high-definition electroencephalography in overt and covert speech, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion tensor imaging at 2 time points: baseline (within 3 weeks to 3 months after stroke) and follow-up (at 6 months to 1 year after stroke), which are correlated with improvements in overall language function. <h3>Conclusions</h3> A follow-up study will be needed to guide future applications of these neurophysiological correlates of aphasia recovery on personalizing noninvasive brain stimulation as an adjunctive therapy for poststroke rehabilitation. <h3>Disclosures</h3> none.