Lexical Impairments

What are Lexical Retrieval Impairments?

Lexical retrieval is a central step in language production. The prototypical clinical marker of lexical retrieval impairments is pure anomia, related to difficulties in accessing the target word, apart from a breakdown of the phonological or the semantic system themselves.

Causes of Lexical Retrieval Impairments

After surgical removal of diffuse low-grade gliomas, vocabulary retrieval problems may occur, which hinders effective communication among patients. The study found that the cortex-subcortical network consists of the last part of the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) - the cortical center on the interface between the semantic network and the phonological network - and its potential white matter connection pathways, especially the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). In addition, in the language therapy of patients with post-stroke aphasia, it was found that motor cortex stimulation can strengthen the content-specific vocabulary-semantic concept association. It is also an early prominent symptom of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and degenerative diseases, which brings pain and frustration to the patient and his communication partners.

Potential Targets for Lexical Retrieval Treatment

The voltage-gate potassium channel KV1.3 was originally described as a target for the treatment of T cell-mediated immune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Recently, KV1.3 blockers have been studied as a pharmacological target that reduces nerve stimulation by regulating microglia activation. In mouse and rat ischemic stroke models, KV1.3 blockers show the potential to reduce ischemic area and improve nerve damage. KV1.3 blockers may be useful in Alzheimer's disease, white matter pathology after traumatic brain injury, and brain damage caused by radiation, thus, KV1.3 may be a potential therapeutic target for lexical retrieval impairments caused by degenerative neurological diseases point.

Treatment Methods of Lexical Retrieval Impairments

The goal of lexical retrieval impairments treatment is to maintain the retrieval of the core lexical for as long as possible. The treatment of lexical impairments includes behavior, pharmacology, brain stimulation, and the combination of behavior and pharmacology. Five general treatment techniques were identified in the behavioral studies as standard naming treatment, including look, listen, repeat treatment, cueing hierarchies, semantically focused treatments, and lexical retrieval in context. Studies have found that these behavioral treatments have an immediate effect on patients and may maintain the effect for months or even years.

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