Every year, approximately 800,000 people have a stroke in the United States alone. Among
these individuals, roughly 100,000 are diagnosed with aphasia-a disorder characterized by
profound challenges in daily communication with their families and peers. Notably, many
individuals with aphasia can sing despite their speech difficulties, an observation which
led to the development of melodic-intonation therapy (MIT) in the 1970s. Although MIT has
since been accepted as a viable aphasia therapy by the American Academy of Neurology, the
underlying neurological mechanisms that enable speech recovery remain poorly understood.
Here, we propose a highly interdisciplinary approach to study the neural mechanisms of
language recovery in aphasia through a novel rhythm-based language intervention.
Our ultimate goal is to help clinicians and therapists optimize aphasia treatment by
elucidating the neural basis underlying music-induced language recovery through
multimodal neuroimaging and novel statistical analysis. In particular, we will test a
hypothesis that rhythm alone is sufficient to facilitate language recovery, without
melody To explore this hypothesis, we recently devised a novel framework for music-based
language therapy that solely leverages rhythm to facilitate language production at the
phrase or sentence level. Our therapy was used in a case study with a patient with
chronic aphasia who had severely impaired speech fluency due to a large unilateral stroke
in the left hemisphere. Following eight weeks of rhythm therapy, she exhibited remarkable
improvement in speech production (i.e., from 1-2 spontaneous words to 16 sentences made
from 42 words), and increased functional and structural connectivity within key regions
of interest associated with the right sensorimotor network. While compelling, these
preliminary data warrant further validation using proper active controls and a larger
sample size, a goal to be achieved through the proposed research. We have since
translated the rhythm therapy into a fun and engaging game termed "TheraBeat" that can be
installed on a tablet Personal Computer or smart phone. In the proposed research, we will
use TheraBeat as a home-based aphasia therapeutic intervention to minimize the burden of
patient travel and increase accessibility to therapy. The proposed study will be
accomplished by pursuing the following specific aims:. This prediction is based upon the
theoretical and neuroscientific framework that demonstrates how language heavily relies
on rhythm processes mediated by the bilateral sensorimotor network.
Aim 1. Determine the therapeutic role of rhythm in speech recovery for people with
aphasia. Based on recent evidence garnered by our group as well as others, we expect that
rhythm-based rehabilitation will enhance speech fluency in people with chronic aphasia,
i.e., our target patients who are beyond six months after the onset of stroke. This
hypothesis will be tested by directly comparing post-therapy outcomes of the treatment
group, who will practice speech production daily through rhythmic activity, to an active
control group who will receive conventional speech production therapy without the use of
rhythmic activities.
Aim 2. Characterize the neural plasticity promoted by rhythm-based intervention. We
hypothesize that daily participation in our new therapy program will promote
neuroplasticity along the sensorimotor network, especially within the intact perilesional
left or right fronto-striatal circuits that are known to play a key role in speech
production and fluency. To determine structural neuroplasticity following the
intervention, we will utilize patented myelin-based MRI in combination with diffusion
tensor imaging (DTI). To explore functional neuroplasticity, we will use both
resting-state fMRI and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). These structural
and functional data will be analyzed via a novel statistical shape analysis that captures
morphological changes, which cannot be detected by simple statistical approaches.
By using an innovative rhythm-based therapeutic intervention and cutting-edge
neuroimaging techniques, we will address hitherto unknown questions regarding how and why
music works as a therapeutic regimen for aphasia rehabilitation. With expertise in
aphasia rehabilitation, neuroimaging, computer science, and data analytics, our
interdisciplinary research team is well poised to undertake this investigation. The
proposed research will serve as a critical stepping stone toward understanding the
therapeutic role of music in neurological disorders. Our results will lay the foundations
for future studies on music-induced language recovery.
