• Lucy J. MacGregor
  • Stephanie Difrancesco
  • Friedemann Pulvermüller
  • Yury Shtyrov
  • Bettina Mohr

Effects of intensive language action therapy (ILAT) on automatic language processing were assessed using Magnetoencephalography (MEG). Auditory magnetic mismatch negativity (MMNm) responses to words and pseudowords were recorded in twelve patients with chronic aphasia before and immediately after two weeks of ILAT. Following therapy, Patients showed significant clinical improvements of auditory comprehension as measured by the Token Test and in word retrieval and naming as measured by the Boston Naming Test. Neuromagnetic responses dissociated between meaningful words and meaningless word-like stimuli ultra-rapidly, approximately 50 ms after acoustic information first allowed for stimulus identification. Over treatment, there was a significant increase in the left-lateralisation of this early word-elicited activation, observed in perilesional fronto-temporal regions. No comparable change was seen for pseudowords. The results may reflect successful, therapy-induced, language restitution in the left hemisphere.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)279-291
Number of pages13
JournalBrain Topography
Volume28
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2014

    Research areas

  • Aphasia, ILAT/CIAT, Language therapy, MEG, Mismatch negativity, Stroke

    Scopus subject areas

  • Anatomy
  • Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

ID: 36011075