Shiree Heath1, Lyndsey Nickels2, Anthony Angwin3, Anna MacDonald1, Sophia van Hees1, Kori Johnson4, David Copland1, Katie McMahon4
1Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; 2Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 3School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; 4Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
The current study sought to identify differences in resting state connectivity between language-related regions in unimpaired speakers and individuals with aphasia. Results show distinct patterns of connectivity for the two participant groups. Controls demonstrated greater connectivity than participants with aphasia between contralateral regions in the opposite cerebral lobe. Compared to controls, participants with aphasia showed greater connectivity in both ipsilateral and contralateral regions restricted to two specific regions in the temporal and parietal lobes. This pattern may indicate that the major disruption in connectivity for individuals with aphasia exists between homologous regions in the two cerebral hemispheres.