Single Word Repetition Predicts Long-Term Outcome of Aphasia Caused by an Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Purpose: Better understanding of clinical predictors of aphasia outcome is of the utmost importance, in patients’ rehabilitation planning, expectation management, and further physiopathology understanding.We aimed to identify clinical predictors of long-term poststroke aphasia's outcome. Methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal observation study of patients with left-Middle Cerebral Artery stroke with aphasia. Patients were evaluated at baseline, day 7 and 6 months with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Aphasia Rapid Test Other demographic variables and vascular risk factors were collected. A linear regression was performed to identify best predictors of aphasia at 6 months. Findings: We included 113 patients with a left hemisphere stroke, with 81 reaching the final evaluation. Aphasia Handicap Score at 6 months was predicted by baseline total NIHSS (β = .077, 95%CI = [.026, .127]. P = .004), infarct volume on CT-scan (β = .009, 95%CI = [.003, .015]. P = .003), single word repetition at baseline (β = .188, 95%CI = [.040, .335]. P = .013), and infection during hospitalization (β = .759, 95%CI = [.263, 1.255]. P = .003). Conclusions: Aphasia's outcome in patients with stroke is predicted by a single word repetition task at baseline. Infection during hospitalization has a negative impact on aphasia's outcome at 6 months.