Advances in Neuropsychology and Speech and Language Pathology in Patients with Stroke

Stroke is the second main cause of death and adult disability worldwide . Aphasia is one of its most invalidating consequences. This chapter will first provide an overview of the processes that underlie functional and structural recovery of language after stroke. Secondly, it will focus on recent developments in aphasia rehabilitation research spanning from traditional behavioral approaches, a prerogative of Speech and Language Therapists, to innovative treatments (i.e., the use of neuromodulation techniques, telerehabilitation, virtual reality, and pharmacology) requiring multidisciplinary interventions taking advantage also from recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). For each rehabilitative approach, current knowledge and possible implementations will be outlined. Finally, considerations on the importance of individual differences will stimulate critical thinking about research methods adopted in cognitive neuroscience so far. This leads to the conclusion that person-specific characteristics are becoming crucial for accurately identifying language difficulties and designing effective treatment protocols.