Future of Aphasia Treatment

Question 1

Current issues: Small(2000)

Answer 1

Do we understand what is happening to the brain over the course of recovery?

“Vast new array of possible approaches to aphasia therapy” (Helm-Estabrooks, pg. 449)

Goals of treatment too modest

What about animal models of aphasia?

What can be learned from computerized models of aphasia?

Question 2

The Future of Treatment

Answer 2

Helm-Estabrooks: pharmacotherapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, stem cell transplantation nerve cell stimulation
Are tissue transplantation and electronic prostheses a possibility?
Which methods appears to hold the most promise?

Question 3

Pharmacotherapy
History:

Ancient times:
Ancient Times:
More recently:
Albert (1988): proposed…

Answer 3

~Cashew nuts in 
   Greece-dopamine
~wine, berries, roots, herbs, 
   nuts
~aspirin, caffeine, sodium 
   amytal
~dopaminergic agents - 
   nonfluent aphasias and  
   cholinergic agents-fluent 
   aphasias

Question 4

~TPA stands for?
~Known as?
~Drug Names:
~Must be given within…

Answer 4

~Tissue Plasminogen Activator
~“Clot Buster” Drugs
~Tenecteplase, Alteplase, 
   Urokinase, Reteplase, 
   Streptokinase
~3-4 hours of the first symptoms 
   of a stroke.

Question 5

rTMS means?

rDCS means?

Answer 5

rTMS: Transcranial magnetic stimulation

rDCS: Transcranial direct current stimulation

Question 6

rTMS is?

rDCS is?

Answer 6

~rTMS:  Non-invasive procedure 
   that uses magnetic fields to 
   create electric currents in the 
   brain (Pascual-Leone, 2002)
~rDCS:  Constant, low current is 
   delivered via small electrodes 
   directly to the targeted brain 
   area

Question 7

Stem Cell Transplantation
Nerve Cell Stimulation-

Stem cells are?

Answer 7

~cells that have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body.

Question 8

Stem Cell Transplantation
Nerve Cell Stimulation-

~No current studies on...
~Studies on rats and mice show:  
~Stem cells in Parkinson’s 
   Disease-
NOTE:  Stem cell companies offering treatments in Mexico, China, India and other countries for more than \_\_\_ diseases

Answer 8

~humans with aphasia
~reduction in lesion size
~20 years!
~130

Question 9

Future of Treatment

Answer 9

~Generally, do treatments cause 
   any harm?
~Why not just try different 
   things until you find 
   something that works?