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

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 (beta = .077, 95%CI = [.026, .127]. P = .004), infarct volume on CT-scan (beta = .009, 95%CI = [.003, .015]. P = .003), single word repetition at baseline (beta = .188, 95%CI = [.040, .335]. P = .013), and infection during hospitalization (beta = .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.