A longitudinal study of speech fluency in aphasia: CT correlates of recovery and persistent nonfluency

The anatomic correlates of speech fluency were studied in 54 right-handed patients with aphasia due to stroke. Speech fluency was assessed at 1 month postonset and then monthly for 5 months. CTs obtained at 5 months postonset were used for lesion localization and volume determination. Persistent nonfluency was associated with lesions in the rolandic cortical region and underlying white matter. Recovery from nonfluency occurred in 6 of 27 patients. Lesions in these six patients were less extensive than lesions in patients with persistent nonfluency. Patients who were fluent by 1 month lacked extensive rolandic lesions.