Future Treatment of Aphasia Flashcards
Current issues: Small(2000)
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?
The Future of Treatment
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?
Pharmacotherapy
History:
Ancient times: Cashew nuts in Greece- dopamine
Ancient Times: wine, berries, roots, herbs, nuts
More recently: aspirin, caffeine, sodium amytal
Albert (1988): proposed dopaminergic agents - nonflue
What drugs could be helpful?
Studies have been conducted on dopaminergic, serotonergic, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and cholinergic systems.
TPA:
Tissue Plasminogen Activator
Known as “Clot Buster” Drugs
Drug Names: Tenecteplase, Alteplase, Urokinase, Reteplase, Streptokinase
Must be given within 3-4 hours of the first symptoms of a stroke.
rTMS:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to create electric currents in the brain
rDCS:
Transcranial direct current stimulation
Constant, low current is delivered via small electrodes directly to the targeted brain area
Stem Cell TransplantationNerve Cell Stimulation
Stem cells: cells that have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body.
No current studies on humans with aphasia
Studies on rats and mice: reduction in lesion size
Stem cells in Parkinson’s Disease- 20 years!
NOTE: Stem cell companies offering treatments in Mexico, China, India and other countries for more than 130 diseases
Future of Treatment
Generally, do treatments cause any harm?
Why not just try different things until you find something that works?
