Language impairment and patterns of verbal and spatial working memory impairments in Arabic adults with post-stroke aphasia

This study aimed to explore the impairment patterns of verbal and spatial working memory in Arabic aphasia adults after stroke. A total of 50 patients with Saudi aphasia admitted to the University Hospital between September 2023 and November 2025 were included in this study. The patient group consisted of 13 females (26.0%) and 37 males (74.0%), with a mean age of 50.3 years, mean years of education of 13.43 years, mean disease duration of 20.30 months, and mean lesion volume of 41.30 mL. The control group consisted of 10 females (20%) and 40 males (80%), with a mean age of 50.88 years and a mean years of education of 12.60 years. The Moroccan Arabic Bedside Western Aphasia Battery-Revised was used to test the subjects' spontaneous speech, listening comprehension, repetition and naming. functions. It was found that both verbal and spatial working memory were significantly impaired in patients with Arabic aphasia after stroke, with verbal working memory impairment being more pronounced than spatial working memory impairment. After excluding demographic, lesion, and cognitive factors, a positive correlation was found between verbal or spatial working memory and the degree of language impairment in patients with Arabic aphasia after stroke. This study suggests that working memory training will be of great significance in improving language function in aphasia patients.