ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The present study investigated the extent of cortical activity during overt picture naming using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHOD: Participants comprised 20 healthy, adult participants with ages ranging from 20 to 82 years. While undergoing fMRI, participants completed a picture-naming task consisting of 60 high-frequency nouns. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between age and cortical activation intensity in Broca's and Wernicke's areas as well as the right-hemisphere homologue of Broca's area. In contrast, neural activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus, an area thought to be involved in attentional processing, did not increase as a function of age. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest age-related increases in cortical activation during simple language tasks, such as picture naming, in brain areas typically associated with language processing.
Subject(s)
Aging/physiology , Auditory Perception/physiology , Cerebral Cortex/physiology , Language , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Linear Models , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate AnalysisABSTRACT
Although structural brain scans help assess brain injury in stroke, they cannot identify regions that are functionally disabled due to disrupted perfusion. Perfusion and functional MRI have the potential for determining the functional consequences of stroke. Here we examine the effectiveness of functional MRI to measure brain function in a single patient (LB) with chronic hypoperfusion. When LB made sustained hand movements we observed a sustained decrease in the fMRI signal, while normal individuals exhibit a sustained increase in signal while conducting this task. This work has clear implications for understanding stroke using functional MRI.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries/physiopathology , Hemodynamics/physiology , Stroke/physiopathology , Brain Injuries/pathology , Cerebral Cortex/blood supply , Cerebral Cortex/pathology , Functional Laterality/physiology , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Middle Aged , Oxygen/bloodABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Spaced retrieval (SR) has recently been modified to target anomia in persons with aphasia (PWA). It relies on a strict management of the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) where the time between stimulus presentations is doubled or halved based on response accuracy. Although SR is successful in treating anomia, it remains to be studied whether the strict ISI management is necessary. The present study compared fixed-interval spaced retrieval (FISR) to randomized-interval spaced retrieval (RISR) in anomia treatment. Using alternating treatments single subject design, three PWA were trained to name 30 target items. Although both treatments were successful, the present data did not reveal one approach as superior even though fewer FISR sessions were needed and more FISR items were maintained on the post-treatment probes. This difference was only minimal suggesting that a less stringent stimulus schedule, as used in RISR, is sufficient for successful treatment outcome. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Readers will be able to describe the spaced retrieval treatment approach using both fixed- and randomized-interval stimulus schedules, as well as applications of this technique in the treatment of anomia in aphasia.
