Cortical morphological changes in stroke-associated dysarthria patients

TL;DR

This study explores brain structure changes in stroke patients with speech difficulties, identifying specific cortical regions linked to dysarthria severity.

Contribution

The study introduces surface-based morphometry to quantify cortical changes in dysarthria and links them to speech severity scores.

Findings

DYS patients showed increased fractal dimension in the left insula and elevated gyrification in multiple brain regions.

Right supramarginal gyrification correlated with speech reflex and respiration scores in dysarthria patients.

No significant differences were found between supratentorial and infratentorial lesion types in cortical changes.

Abstract

Post-stroke dysarthria (DYS) severely affects communication, yet cortical morphological alterations remain insufficiently characterized. This study applied surface-based morphometry (SBM) to examine cortical changes in DYS and their association with dysarthria severity assessed by the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA).

Forty-eight DYS patients and 72 matched controls underwent MRI. Cortical fractal dimension and gyrification were extracted via SBM. Group differences were tested using two-sample t-tests, and correlations with FDA scores were assessed using Spearman analyses.

DYS patients exhibited significantly increased fractal dimension in the left insula and elevated gyrification in bilateral insula, superior temporal and precentral gyri (p < 0.05). Right supramarginal gyrification positively correlated with FDA reflex and respiration subscores (ρ > 0.3, p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between supratentorial and infratentorial lesions.

Cortical morphological alterations in insula and supramarginal gyrus may contribute to DYS pathophysiology. SBM provides quantitative markers linking cortical architecture to speech motor control, potentially guiding individualized rehabilitation strategies.

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