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Pharmacotherapy for aphasia
148
Citations
0
References
1988
Year
NeuropsychologyPsychopharmacologyAcquired AphasiaNeurological RehabilitationCognitive RehabilitationSocial SciencesAphasic SymptomsAphasiaNeurologySpeech And Language DisordersSpeech PerceptionAphasia Neuro-rehabilitationSpeech FluencySpeech Fluency DisorderTreatment OptionNeuropharmacologyRehabilitationMotor Speech DisordersLanguage DisorderSpeechlanguage PathologyAphoniaMotor SpeechLanguage PerformanceNeuroscienceArts
Selected features of aphasia may reflect disruption of specific neurotransmitter systems. The study aimed to determine whether bromocriptine could restore speech fluency in a patient with long‑standing transcortical motor aphasia by treating hesitancy and impaired initiation. The authors administered bromocriptine to the patient to address these speech initiation deficits. Bromocriptine therapy markedly improved language performance—reducing response latency, paraphasias, and increasing naming—though the gains disappeared after treatment was stopped.
Selected features of aphasia may reflect disruption of specific neurotransmitter systems. Pharmacotherapy focused on these aphasic symptoms may improve language performance following stroke. We attempted to restore speech fluency in a patient with long-standing transcortical motor aphasia by treating his symptoms of hesitancy and impaired initiation of speech with bromocriptine. During therapy his language performance improved substantially, due to reduced latency of response, decreased paraphasias, and increased naming ability. After cessation of drug therapy his language returned to baseline.