TMS suppression of right pars triangularis, but not pars opercularis, improves naming in aphasia.

Abstract

This study sought to discover if an optimum 1 cm(2) area in the non-damaged right hemisphere (RH) was present, which could temporarily improve naming in chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients when suppressed with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Ten minutes of slow, 1Hz rTMS was applied to suppress different RH ROIs in eight aphasia cases. Picture naming and response time (RT) were examined before, and immediately after rTMS. In aphasia patients, suppression of right pars triangularis (PTr) led to significant increase in pictures named, and significant decrease in RT. Suppression of right pars opercularis (POp), however, led to significant increase in RT, but no change in number of pictures named. Eight normals named all pictures correctly; similar to aphasia patients, RT significantly decreased following rTMS to suppress right PTr, versus right POp. Differential effects following suppression of right PTr versus right POp suggest different functional roles for these regions.

• Authors: Margaret A Naeser, Paula I Martin, Hugo Theoret, Masahito Kobayashi, Felipe Fregni, Marjorie Nicholas, Jose M Tormos, Megan S Steven, Errol H Baker, Alvaro Pascual-Leone
• Journal: Brain and language (Brain Lang) Vol. 119 Issue 3 Pg. 206-13 (Dec 2011) ISSN: 1090-2155 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 21864891 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Published by Elsevier Inc.

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aphasia, Broca (etiology, physiopathology, rehabilitation)
• Female
• Frontal Lobe (physiopathology)
• Functional Laterality (physiology)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Reaction Time
• Stroke (complications, physiopathology)
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation