Changes in the Maps of Language Activation Following Melodic Intonation Therapy Using Magnetocencephalography: Two Case Studies

Chapter 10 Language:
Magnetic Intonation Therapy (MIT) is based on the premise that aphasic people can repeat words better if they sing them. The two patients in this study have chronic expressive aphasia. The hypothesis is "improvement in language function would be associated with increased activation with putative premorbid language areas within the left hemisphere."
Patient 1 is a 55 year old white male who has had a stroke. He had an infarct of the left basal ganglia and left posterior frontal region. He would drag his right foot and had other right side muscle weakness. Patient 2 was a 49 year old white male who also had a history of stroke. He had damage to the right hemiparesis and aphasia. Both men had damage to the the temporal lobe within the left hemisphere and in the frotoparietal areas. They both tested positive for significant aphasia prior to the treatment. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) the patients received a brain scan as stimuli were presented to their visual field through a mirror. A line drawing was presented and they were told to name the action of the drawing quickly. They ranked the items by spatial and temporal proximity. MIT is a rehab program used to facilitate and improve language. The patients underwent two blocks of this program. For three weeks, the patients would undergo MIT for 30 minutes twice a day for two days out of the week. The responses were measured based on their production of phrases.
Patient 1 improved significantly but patient 2 did not. Both showed activation of "superior, middle, and inferior gyri, angular gyrus, temporal lobe and inferior frontal gyrus in either hemisphere." After MIT, the MEG scan showed increased activity in the left hemispheres. However, there was also increased right hemispheric activity in patient 2, which may have acted "in a manner detrimental to the behavioral response." Overall, the "observations presented... are consistent with suggestions that positive response to MIT... is associated with increased activation in the left hemispheric areas that remain intact after stroke."
These findings are consistent with what we learned in class. There was damage to the left hemisphere, which controls language. As well, patient 1 had trouble moving the right side of his body due to the left hemispheric damage. MIT may improve the areas in the left hemisphere that are still intact. Due to the brain's plasticity, these areas may be able to take over the functions of the damaged areas and restore, somewhat, the patients language abilities.


Breier, J.I., Randle, S., Maher, L. M., & Papanicolaou, A.C. (2010). Chanes in maps of language activity activation following meolodic intonation therapy using magnetocencephalography: two case studies. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32(3), 309-314. doi: 10.1080/13803390903029293

http://ezproxy.utm.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=49147292&site=ehost-live