Recovery of Severe Aphasia After Cranioplasty: Considerations on a Case Study.

Abstract

Cranioplasty is the main surgical intervention for repairing cranial defects performed in about 80% of the patients following cancer surgery or decompressive craniectomy. Although some works have shown recovery of motor and cognitive function, including memory, attention, and executive functions, until today no studies have focused on language recovery after cranioplasty. A 68-year-old woman came to the Neurorehabilitation Unit of the IRCCS Neurolesi (Messina, Italy) because of a fluent aphasia due to a severe left nucleocapsular hemorrhage and greatly improved her motor and neuropsychological status after cranioplasty. Results confirmed that cranioplasty might significantly improve motor and neuropsychological function, besides aphasia. Healthcare professionals involved in rehabilitation should be aware of the potential role of cranioplasty in improving rehabilitative outcomes to better plan a more personalized rehabilitative program. Moreover, rehabilitation nurses can play a pivotal role within the rehabilitation process, as they are educated to interact and communicate with the patient suffering from aphasia.

• Authors: Francesco Corallo, Maria Cristina De Cola, Viviana Lo Buono, Simona Cammaroto, Angela Marra, Alfredo Manuli, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
• Journal: Rehabilitation nursing : the official journal of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (Rehabil Nurs) 2020 Jul/Aug Vol. 45 Issue 4 Pg. 238-242 ISSN: 2048-7940 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30681549 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Aged
• Aphasia (complications, physiopathology, therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Italy
• Neurosurgical Procedures (methods, rehabilitation, standards)
• Recovery of Function (physiology)
• Skull (physiopathology, surgery)
• Treatment Outcome