Exploring the Effects of Action Observation Therapy on Swallowing Disorders in Stroke: A Functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Stroke often leads to dysphagia, impacting quality of life.
• Action observation therapy (AOT) is a potential rehabilitation strategy.
• Understanding AOT's neural mechanisms is crucial for stroke recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of AOT on brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) in stroke patients with swallowing disorders.
• To identify neuroimaging biomarkers for AOT's efficacy.
• To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying swallowing function recovery after stroke.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity (regional homogeneity - ReHo, degree centrality - DC) and FC.
• 11 healthy controls and 11 stroke patients undergoing 4-week AOT were included.
• Analysis compared stroke patients pre- and post-AOT with healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Stroke patients showed altered ReHo and DC values compared to controls, particularly in temporal and frontal regions.
• AOT led to increased DC in the superior parietal gyrus and enhanced FC in the superior parietal gyrus and precuneus.
• No significant change in ReHo was observed post-AOT, but FC alterations suggest improved network communication.

Conclusions:

• AOT positively impacts brain functional connectivity and information transmission in stroke patients.
• The study provides insights into the neural mechanisms of swallowing network reorganization.
• AOT shows promise for enhancing swallowing function rehabilitation in stroke survivors.