Shift of Language Function to Right Hemisphere Impedes Post-Stroke Aphasia Recovery, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Cincinnati Study

In a study designed to differentiate why some stroke patients recover from aphasia and others do not, investigators have found that a compensatory reorganization of language function to right hemispheric brain regions bodes poorly for language recovery. Patients who recovered from aphasia showed a return to normal left-hemispheric language activation patterns.