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Updated: May 30, 2026

Utilizing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Language Function in Stroke Patients with Chronic Non-fluent Aphasia
Published on: July 2, 2013
Lesions to the posterior insular cortex cause dysarthria
B Baier1, P zu Eulenburg, O Glassl
1Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany. baierb@uni-mainz.de
Background:
Up to now, there are few systematic studies in a sufficient number of patients with lesions involving the insular cortex (IC) examining whether damage of the IC is directly related to dysarthria. Thus, this is the first study applying modern voxel-lesion behaviour mapping (VLBM) aimed to examine whether the IC is involved in dysarthria - and if so - which part of the IC is involved.
Methods:
Twenty-five patients with acute stroke lesions affecting the IC and peri-insular region were investigated employing VLBM analysis.
Results:
Present data indicated that dysarthria is associated with stroke lesions affecting the right- and left-sided posterior IC.
Conclusions:
Owing to the known extensive spectrum of cortical and subcortical somatosensory and motor connections, it seems that the IC might be one region involved in the generation of speech motor execution.
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