Electrophysiological Changes in Patients with Post-stroke Aphasia: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT

Background Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) record two main types of data continuous measurements at rest or during sleep, and event-related potentials/evoked magnetic fields (ERPs/EMFs) that involve specific and repetitive tasks. In this systematic review, we summarized longitudinal studies on recovery from post-stroke aphasia that used continuous or event-related temporal imaging (EEG or MEG). Methods We searched PubMed and Scopus for English articles published from 1950 to May 31, 2022. Results 34 studies were included in this review 11 were non-interventional studies and 23 were clinical trials that used specific rehabilitation methods, neuromodulation, or drugs. The results of the non-interventional studies suggested that poor language recovery was associated with slow-wave activity persisting over time. The results of some clinical trials indicated that behavioral improvements were correlated with significant modulation of the N400 component. Discussion Compared with continuous EEG, ERP/EMF may more reliably identify biomarkers of therapy-induced effects. Electrophysiology should be used more often to explore language processes that are impaired after a stroke, as it may highlight treatment challenges for patients with post-stroke aphasia.