Longitudinal Progression of White Matter Hyperintensity Severity in Chronic Stroke Aphasia.
Natalie Busby, Roger Newman-Norlund, Janina Wilmskoetter and 7 others
PMID 38163020WHAT IT FOUND
In chronic stroke aphasia, worsening periventricular white matter linked to greater aphasia severity over time.
Higher BMI predicted periventricular worsening, while diabetes predicted deep white matter worsening. These brain changes appear dynamic, with some participants showing reduced severity.
Key findings
01Increased periventricular white matter hyperintensity severity was associated with a decrease in aphasia quotient scores, indicating more severe aphasia.
02Higher body mass index was the sole significant predictor of increased periventricular white matter hyperintensity severity between scans.
03The presence of diabetes was the sole significant predictor of increased deep white matter hyperintensity severity between scans.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used retrospective data with varying time intervals between scans for different participants. White matter hyperintensity severity was rated using the Fazekas scale, which may not capture subtle changes compared to volumetric measures. Diabetes status was recorded as a simple yes/no variable without details on type or duration. Participants completed the Western Aphasia Battery multiple times, which could potentially influence scores despite literature suggesting no significant learning effect.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume white matter damage only gets worse over time. This study found that 16.33% of participants actually showed a reduction in white matter hyperintensity severity, suggesting these brain changes are dynamic and not strictly progressive.