Clinicoanatomical correlation in stroke related aphasia

• Main Authors: Vikram Bohra, Geeta Anjum Khwaja, Sneh Jain, Ashish Duggal, Vijay Vishwanath Ghuge, Abhilekh Srivastava
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology
• Subjects: Aphasia; clinico-anatomic correlation; clinico-topographic correlation; stroke
• Online Access: http://www.annalsofian.org/article.asp?issn=0972-2327;year=2015;volume=18;issue=4;spage=424;epage=429;aulast=Bohra
• ISSN: 0972-2327; 1998-3549

Context: With advances in neuroimaging, traditional views regarding the clinicoanatomic correlation in stroke patients with aphasia are being challenged and it has been observed that lesions at a given cortical or subcortical site may manifest with different aphasia profiles. Aims: To study as to whether there is a strict clinicoanatomical correlation between the type of aphasia and lesion site in patients with first ever stroke. Settings and Design: Observational study, based in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: Stroke patient′s ≥18 years of age were screened and those with first ever stroke and aphasia were subjected to a detailed stroke workup and language assessment using the Hindi version of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Statistical analysis was done with χ2 test with Yates correction and Kruskal-Wallis test. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Overall aphasia was detected in 27.9% of the 260 screened cases with stroke. Amongst 60 cases with first ever stroke and aphasia, the aphasia type was: Global (33.33%), Broca′s (28.3%), transcortical motor (13.33%), transcortical sensory (10%), Wernicke′s (8.33%), anomic (5%), and conduction (1.67%) aphasia. A definite correlation between the lesion site and the type of aphasia as per the traditional classification was observed in 35% cases only. Conclusions: No absolute correlation exists between the lesion site and the type of clinical aphasia syndrome in majority of the patients with cortical and subcortical stroke.