Pharmacotherapy for aphasia

Abstract

Selected features of aphasia may reflect disruption of specific neurotransmitter systems. Pharmacotherapy focused on these aphasic symptoms may improve language performance following stroke. We attempted to restore speech fluency in a patient with long-standing transcortical motor aphasia by treating his symptoms of hesitancy and impaired initiation of speech with bromocriptine. During therapy his language performance improved substantially, due to reduced latency of response, decreased paraphasias, and increased naming ability. After cessation of drug therapy his language returned to baseline.