The role of the dorsal auditory pathway in the rehabilitation of aphasic stroke. (360G-Wellcome-079098_Z_06_Z)

The project will investigate the neural basis of behavioural rehabilitation ofspeech processing in aphasic stroke. Based on previous functional imaging evidence, I hypothesise that recovery of function within the dorsal auditory pathway, a posterior temporal-parietal-frontal cortical network engaged in both speech comprehension and output, is critical for the successful rehabilitation of aphasic stroke. This longitudinal study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate changes in cortical activation and cortico-cortical connectivity within the dorsal auditory pathway in chronic left temporo-parietal aphasic stroke patients, in response to an intensive short-duration rehabilitation program designed to improve speech comprehension and repetition. The same techniques will be used to investigate functional plasticity within the dorsal auditory pathway of normalsubjects, in a simulated rehabilitation program involving learning to understand acoustically distorted speech. Functional MRI will be supplemented with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of dorsal pathway white matter tracts.