Resting-state connectivity enhancement in Aphasia patients post-speech therapy: a localization model

Resting-state functional connectivity has become a valuable tool in studying post-stroke aphasia (PSA). However, the specific distribution of increased functional connectivity areas (IFCAs) in PSA patients after speech-language therapy (SLT) remains unclear, particularly compared with the intrinsic brain network (IBN) observed in healthy controls. This study aimed to explore the effects of SLT and spontaneous recovery on functional connectivity changes in the brain. We recruited twenty healthy controls and twelve PSA patients, each of whom underwent one month of SLT. The Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was administered to assess language function recovery. The Dice coefficients were calculated between each patient's lesion and the reference lesion, which showed moderate to high intensity. The results revealed a close association between the spatial distribution of IFCAs and improvements in specific language functions. Our findings indicate that the distribution pattern of IFCAs may serve as a significant marker of recovery in PSA patients.