Abstract
Background: Aphasia is a multi-modality disturbance of speech, language, and memory caused by neurological injury, particularly stroke. Aims: This review article views aphasia as fundamentally a disease of the brain, and aims to survey biological treatments for aphasia that address amelioration of brain injury. Main Contribution: The review examines the effects of different drugs on both direct and indirect mechanisms of neural circuit reorganisation, gauged through effects on multi-modal measures of speech, language, and memory. Based on this review, therapists might choose to analyse and change the pharmacological state of their patients with aphasia. Conclusions: We conclude that (a) both biological and behavioural therapies affect brain repair and reorganisation; (b) pharmacotherapy is not yet proven, but has promise, but only when accompanied by concomitant behavioural therapy; (c) the most important biological interventions that can be accomplished at present are to withdraw certain drugs that impede aphasia recovery and to administer anti-depressants to all patients with major or minor poststroke depression.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 473-492 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Aphasiology |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 5-7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Language and Linguistics
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Linguistics and Language
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurology
- LPN and LVN