Infratentorial white matter integrity as a potential biomarker for post-stroke aphasia.

Traditionally, neuroimaging studies of post-stroke aphasia focus on supratentorial brain regions related to language function and recovery. However, stroke-induced lesions often distort these areas, posing a challenge for neuroimaging analyses aimed at identifying reliable biomarkers. This study seeks to explore alternative biomarkers in regions less affected by direct stroke damage, such as white matter regions below the tentorium, to overcome these methodological limitations. Diffusion tensor imaging was accomplished on 55 participants with chronic post-stroke aphasia. Focusing on regions below the tentorium, correlations were analysed between Western Aphasia Battery-Revised scores and average fractional anisotropy values. The volume of intersection between each participant's lesion and their left arcuate fasciculus was also analysed for correlations with Western Aphasia Battery-Revised scores as well. Linear regression analyses were then conducted using regions showing significant correlations as univariate predictors. After applying multiple comparisons corrections, we found that average fractional anisotropy in the middle cerebellar peduncle was positively correlated with aphasia quotient (