TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuroanatomical correlates of speech and singing production in chronic post-stroke aphasia
AU - Martínez-Molina, Noelia
AU - Siponkoski, Sini Tuuli
AU - Pitkäniemi, Anni
AU - Moisseinen, Nella
AU - Kuusela, Linda
AU - Pekkola, Johanna
AU - Laitinen, Sari
AU - Särkämö, Essi Reetta
AU - Melkas, Susanna
AU - Kleber, Boris
AU - Schlaug, Gottfried
AU - Sihvonen, Aleksi
AU - Särkämö, Teppo
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - A classical observation in neurology is that aphasic stroke patients with impairments in speech production can nonetheless sing the same utterances. This preserved ability suggests a distinctive neural architecture for singing that could contribute to speech recovery. However, to date, these structural correlates remain unknown. Here, we combined a multivariate lesion-symptom mapping and voxel-based morphometry approach to analyse the relationship between lesion patterns and grey matter volume and production rate in speech and singing tasks. Lesion patterns for spontaneous speech and cued repetition extended into frontal, temporal and parietal areas typically reported within the speech production network. Impairment in spontaneous singing was associated with damage to the left anterior-posterior superior and middle temporal gyri. Preservation of grey matter volume in the same regions where damage led to poor speech and singing production supported better performance in these tasks. When dividing the patients into fluent and dysfluent singers based on the singing performance from demographically matched controls, we found that the preservation of the left middle temporal gyrus was related to better spontaneous singing. These findings provide insights into the structural correlates of singing in chronic aphasia and may serve as biomarkers to predict treatment response in clinical trials using singing-based interventions for speech rehabilitation.
AB - A classical observation in neurology is that aphasic stroke patients with impairments in speech production can nonetheless sing the same utterances. This preserved ability suggests a distinctive neural architecture for singing that could contribute to speech recovery. However, to date, these structural correlates remain unknown. Here, we combined a multivariate lesion-symptom mapping and voxel-based morphometry approach to analyse the relationship between lesion patterns and grey matter volume and production rate in speech and singing tasks. Lesion patterns for spontaneous speech and cued repetition extended into frontal, temporal and parietal areas typically reported within the speech production network. Impairment in spontaneous singing was associated with damage to the left anterior-posterior superior and middle temporal gyri. Preservation of grey matter volume in the same regions where damage led to poor speech and singing production supported better performance in these tasks. When dividing the patients into fluent and dysfluent singers based on the singing performance from demographically matched controls, we found that the preservation of the left middle temporal gyrus was related to better spontaneous singing. These findings provide insights into the structural correlates of singing in chronic aphasia and may serve as biomarkers to predict treatment response in clinical trials using singing-based interventions for speech rehabilitation.
KW - aphasia
KW - lesion-symptom mapping
KW - singing
KW - speech
KW - voxel-based morphometry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133329048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/braincomms/fcac001
DO - 10.1093/braincomms/fcac001
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35174327
AN - SCOPUS:85133329048
SN - 2632-1297
VL - 4
JO - Brain Communications
JF - Brain Communications
IS - 1
M1 - fcac001
ER -