02/05/2025
If anyone knows Uncle Andy, you know he loves to sing now after the stroke! 🎶❤️
A recent study reveals that singing significantly aids in language recovery for stroke patients with aphasia. Aphasia, a speech disorder caused by strokes, impairs language comprehension and production, affecting about 40% of stroke survivors.
The study shows that singing helps repair the brain’s language network by enhancing neuroplasticity. MRI scans of 54 aphasia patients revealed that singing increased grey matter volume in the left frontal lobe and improved connectivity in the language network, both in the left and right hemispheres.
This resulted in better speech production. The study supports singing as a cost-effective, supplementary therapy that can be performed in group settings or at home, making it an accessible rehabilitation option for improving speech and reducing social isolation.
Reference:
Structural Neuroplasticity Effects of Singing in Chronic Aphasia, Sihvonen et al., eneuro