title: Grey Matter Density Predicts the Improvement of Naming Abilities After tDCS Intervention in Agrammatic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia.
abstract: Agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia is a neurodegenerative disorder specifically characterized by language deficits. A recent study has demonstrated a beneficial effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in combination with language training on naming accuracy in these patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the improvement of naming accuracy after tDCS during language training was related to regional grey matter (GM) density. Eighteen avPPA patients underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging before receiving a treatment that consisted of tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during individualized language training (10 daily therapy sessions, 5 days per week from Monday to Friday). Performances on neuropsychological tests and naming of objects (treated and untreated) and actions were assessed at baseline, post-treatment  and 3 months after treatment. Correlations between individual changes after treatment on neuropsychological tests and on picture naming task and voxel-based GM volume at baseline were performed. We found that the improvement in the naming of treated objects was positively correlated with GM volume in the left fusiform, left middle temporal, and right inferior temporal gyri whereas action naming change was related to GM density in the left middle temporal gyrus. In conclusion baseline density of GM in these brain regions was associated with greater treatment response on naming performances, suggesting that intervention in early disease stages might be most successful. These findings have implication for designing future rehabilitation protocols in language variants of frontotemporal dementia.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy. mcotelli@fatebenefratelli.eu.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cotelli
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manenti
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Brescia, Piazza Spedali Civili 1, 25100, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paternicò
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Brescia, Piazza Spedali Civili 1, 25100, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosseddu
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petesi
authors.affiliation: Stroke Unit, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Premi
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasparotti
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Unit - Memory Clinic, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Orazio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Brescia, Piazza Spedali Civili 1, 25100, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padovani
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Brescia, Piazza Spedali Civili 1, 25100, Brescia, Italy. bborroni@inwind.it.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borroni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018888:Aphasia, Primary Progressive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size; D011379:Prognosis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Frontotemporal dementia; MRI; Primary progressive aphasia; Treatment; Voxel-based morphometry; tDCS