Aphasia is defined as "the loss of ability to communicate orally, through signs, or in writing, or the inability to understand such communications; the loss of language usage ability." Aphasia is present in 21~38% of acute stroke patients and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and expenditure. The evidence based challenges was described that occurred when carrying out systematic reviews of language therapy for aphasia following stroke. Language therapy in treating aphasia is efficacious when provided intensely for the first 3 months. There is strong evidence that computer-based aphasia therapy results in improved language skills. Constraint induced language therapy can result in improved language function and everyday communication in chronic aphasics. Treatment with rTMS may be associated with improved naming performance in patients with non-fluent, chronic aphasia. But, further investigation is required. Several placebo-controlled trials suggest that piracetam is effective in recovery from aphasia when started soon after the stroke. Drugs acting on catecholamine systems (d-amphetamine) have shown varying degrees of efficacy when combined with language therapy. Data from single-case studies, case series and an open-label study suggest that donepezil may have beneficial effects on chronic poststroke aphasia. Preliminary evidence suggests that donepezil is well tolerated and its efficacy is maintained in the long term. Significant language and communication gains have been demonstrated following the use of memantine in conjunction with constraint-induced language therapy.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death, and the leading cause of acquired disability in adults. Survivors of stroke are at risk of a recurrent event, which is often more disabling than first-ever stroke. Recurrent strokes continue to account for 25~30% of all strokes. That represents the needs of successful secondary prevention. Appropriate secondary prevention of recurrent stroke needs rapid diagnosis and treatment and prompt identification of the underlying cardiovascular cause. Some epidemiological data suggest that a substantial proportion of strokes can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. This review summarizes the evidence for optimum secondary prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke as integral part of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Adult ; Cause of Death ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Life Style ; Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine ; Rehabilitation* ; Secondary Prevention* ; Stroke* ; Survivors

Hemiplegic stroke patients may have abnormal awareness or perception of the affected limb (s). For example, patients may experience their limb as not belonging to them (asomatognosia) or attribute their own body parts to other persons (somatoparaphrenia). Disturbed sensation of limb ownership (asomatognosia, somatoparaphrenia) for the hemiplegic limb has been reported in patients with right insula lesion. We report a case of a 70-year-old right handed female who had somatoparaphrenia and neglect dyslexia after right posterior cerebral artery and posterior corpus callosal infarction. Additionally, she showed visual defect, dyschromatopsia, and hemispatial neglect
Aged ; Dyslexia ; Extremities ; Female ; Hand ; Human Body ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infarction, Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Ownership ; Perceptual Disorders ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Sensation ; Stroke

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on muscle spasticity of elbow and wrist affected by stroke. Methods: We studied 21 patients affected by stroke with spasticity in upper limbs. The neurological status of the stroke patients were evaluated by K-NIHSS and the evaluation of efficacy on the upper limb spasticity were based on modified Ashworth scale (MAS), modified Tardieu scale (MTS), and active elevation of upper limb. Treatment was performed 1 session/week, total 3 sessions in each patient. Patients were evaluated at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment using MAS of elbow flexor and active elevation of upper limb. Patients were monitored at baseline, after sham stimulation, and at 1, 4 weeks after ESWT using MTS of elbow flexor and wrist pronator. RESULTS: After ESWT, patients showed significant improvement in muscle tone of elbow flexor and wrist pronator after the 1st and 4th weeks compared with baseline and sham stimulation (p<0.001). The active elevation of hemiplegic upper limb was significantly increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We suggest the ESWT could be a useful treatment method on upper limb spasticity in the patients of stroke. Further studies with a larger group of patients are warranted.
Elbow ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Muscles ; Salicylamides ; Shock ; Stroke ; Upper Extremity ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between poststroke depression (PSD) and the cognitive impairment in the patients with subacute stroke. METHOD: The subjects were 53 patients with cerebral infarction (n=28) and cerebral hemorrhage (n=25). These patients had a mean age of 64.3. The mean onset time was 2.7 months. The location of stroke was in the right hemisphere in 24 subjects, left hemisphere in 23, and bilateral in 6. The severity of PSD was evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Korean Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D) and the evaluation of cognitive impairments was based on Computerized Neuro-psychological Test (CNT), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The Pearson correlation was used as a measure of the strength of association between cognitive impairments and PSD. Independent t-tests were calculated to compare differences in cognitive functioning according to hemispheric involvement. RESULTS: PSD was diagnosed in 33 of 53 patients by the BDI, in 28 of 43 patients by the KGDS and in 22 of 45 patients by the HRS-D. Scores in the verbal and visual learning domains of the CNT were significantly correlated with scores on the BDI, KGDS, and HRS-D, but scores on the MMSE were unrelated to any of these measures of depression. CONCLUSION: We suggest the use of the CNT in poststroke depression patients could be a useful tool from the viewpoint of differentiation of PSD patients with or without cognitive impairment and the diagnosis for poststroke depression should be conducted by self rating and objective assessments.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Depression ; Humans ; Learning ; Stroke

Unilateral vocal cord palsy (UVCP) is frequently observed in patients with stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the association between objective dysphonia severity and the classification of UVCP in patients with stroke by objectively and quantitatively measuring their phonetic function. We recruited patients with UVCP diagnosed using laryngoscopy after stroke.Subgroups were divided according to UVCP type, and the dysphonia severity index (DSI) and maximum phonation time (MPT) were measured to objectively evaluate dysphonia. The DSI and MPT were compared between subgroups using analysis of variance with Tukey’s honest significant difference post hoc test. In total, 103 patients with stroke and UVCP were recruited. We found that a higher UVCP severity possibly had to do with lower DSI and MPT values. We objectively confirmed that phonetic function was worse in patients with stroke with higher UVCP severity, and the DSI and MPT tests can be helpful in determining the severity and need for additional evaluation.

VATER association represents vertebral defects, anal atresia, tracheo-esophageal fistula with esophageal atresia, renal abnormalities and radial limb dysplasia. The probability of the simultaneous occurrence of any three of these defects is so unlikely that it suggests a sporadic non-random association. This non-random association appears to be related to mesodermal defects in early developmental period. We experienced one case of VATER association in 21 months old male child having vertebral anomalies with severe scoliosis, rib defects, imperforated anus, right renal agenesis, lipomyelomeningocele, spinal cord tumor. We reported a case of VATER association with brief review of related literature.
Anal Canal ; Anus, Imperforate ; Child ; Esophageal Atresia ; Extremities ; Fistula ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mesoderm ; Ribs ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms* ; Spinal Cord*

We report a 57-year-old man with bilateral cranial nerve IX and X palsies who presented with severe dysphagia. After a mild head injury, the patient complained of difficult swallowing. Physical examination revealed normal tongue motion and no uvular deviation. Cervical X-ray findings were negative, but a brain computed tomography revealed a skull fracture involving bilateral jugular foramen. Laryngoscopy indicated bilateral vocal cord palsy. In a videofluoroscopic swallowing study, food residue remained in the vallecula and pyriform sinus, and there was reduced motion of the pharynx and larynx. Electromyography confirmed bilateral superior and recurrent laryngeal neuropathy.
Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Electromyography ; Glossopharyngeal Nerve ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Larynx ; Middle Aged ; Paralysis* ; Pharynx ; Physical Examination ; Pyriform Sinus ; Skull Fracture, Basilar ; Skull Fractures ; Tongue ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

Monomelic amyotrophy (MMA), also known as Hirayama disease, is a sporadic juvenile muscular atrophy in the distal upper extremities. This disorder rarely involves proximal upper extremities and presents minimal sensory symptoms with no upper motor neuron (UMN) signs. It is caused by anterior displacement of the posterior dural sac and compression of the cervical cord during neck flexion. An 18-year-old boy visited our clinic with a 5-year history of left upper extremity pain and slowly progressive weakness affecting the left shoulder. Atrophy was present in the left supraspinatus and infraspinatus. On neurological examination, positive UMN signs were evident in both upper and lower extremities. Electrodiagnostic study showed root lesion involving the fifth to seventh cervical segment of the cord with chronic and ongoing denervation in the fifth and sixth cervical segment innervated muscles. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed asymmetric cord atrophy apparent in the left side and intramedullary high signal intensity along the fourth to sixth cervical vertebral levels. With neck flexion, cervical MRI revealed anterior displacement of posterior dural sac, which results in the cord compression of those segments. The mechanisms of myelopathy in our patient seem to be same as that of MMA. We report a MMA patient involving proximal limb with UMN signs in biomechanical concerns and discuss clinical importance of cervical MRI with neck flexion. The case highlights that clinical variation might cause misdiagnosis.
Adolescent ; Atrophy ; Biological Assay ; Denervation ; Diagnostic Errors ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Motor Neurons* ; Muscles ; Neck ; Neurologic Examination ; Shoulder ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood ; Upper Extremity