Affiliations: Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins
University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD,
USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Argye E. Hillis, MD, Department of
Neurology, Meyer 6-113, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street,
Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Tel.: +1 410 614 2381; Fax: +1 410 955 0672; E-mail:
argye@JHMI.edu
Abstract: Background: Impairments in oral word production are common at the
onset of stroke. The identification of factors that predict early recovery has
important implications for identifying those at greater risk of continued
impaired functioning, and the management of the patient's care following
discharge. Aims: To identify patterns of performance that are predictors
of acute recovery of oral word production abilities following stroke; to
identify any association between early and more chronic recovery. Method and procedures: Acute stroke patients were administered oral word production
tasks within 1–2 days of hospital admission, with repeat testing by 7 days; a
subset of patients had repeat testing between three weeks to one year later.
Performance was examined for error rate and type to identify potential
predictors of early recovery. Outcome and results: The proportion of
circumlocution and no response errors at initial testing were associated with
the magnitude of recovery of language functioning within the first week
following stroke. Patient characteristics of age and gender were found to have
no influence on the degree of early recovery observed. None of the examined
factors predicted late recovery. The degree of early recovery was not
associated with the degree of later recovery. Conclusions: The current
study identified patterns of task performance that increase our understanding
of how oral word production recovers following acute stroke. The finding that
the degree of early recovery does not predict the degree of later recovery is
consistent with the hypothesis that early and late recovery are due to
different mechanisms (restored blood flow in acute stroke, and reorganization
in later recovery).
