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

VL - 4

JO - Brain Communications

JF - Brain Communications

SN - 2632-1297

IS - 1

M1 - fcac001

ER -