ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the neural mechanism of language dysfunction in patients with subacute stroke using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).Methods:Sixteen patients with non-fluent aphasia after subacute stroke (aphasia group), 16 patients with non-aphasia after stroke (non-aphasia group), and 16 healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects (control group) were enrolled into our study. The 6-min resting-state data of fNIRS were collected. Four language-related regions, Broca area, Wernicke area, dorso lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and supplementary motor area (SMA), were selected as regions of interest (ROIs), and the whole brain functional connection strength and functional connection strength in ROIs and between each two ROIs were analyzed by NirSpark software.Results:Compared with the control group (0.53±0.15) and non-aphasia group (0.47±0.12), the aphasia group had significantly decreased whole brain functional connection strength (0.29±0.14, P<0.05). Compared with the control group and non-aphasia group, the aphasia group had significantly decreased functional connection strength in the left Wernicke area, right Wernicke area, left Broca area, left SMA area, right SMA area and left DLPFC area ( P<0.05, FDR). Compared with the control group and non-aphasia group, the aphasia group had significantly decreased functional connection strength in the right Wernicke-left Wernicke area, right Wernicke-right Broca area, right Wernicke-left Broca area, right Wernicke-right DLPFC area, right Wernicke-left DLPFC area, right Wernicke-right SMA area, right Wernicke-left SMA area, left Wernicke-right Broca area, left Wernicke-left Broca area, left Wernicke-right DLPFC area, left Wernicke-left DLPFC, left Wernicke-right SMA area, left Wernicke-left SMA area, right Broca-left Broca area, right Broca-left DLPFC area, right Broca-right SMA area, right Broca-left SMA area, left Broca-right DLPFC area, left Broca-left DLPFC area, left Broca-right SMA area, left Broca-left SMA area, right DLPFC-left DLPFC area, right DLPFC-right SMA area, right DLPFC-left SMA area, left DLPFC-right SMA area, left DLPFC-left SMA area, and right SMA-left SMA area ( P<0.05, FDR). Conclusion:Abnormal functional connectivity strength of the whole brain and language-related key brain areas might be the neural mechanism of language dysfunction in patients with non-fluent aphasia after subacute stroke.