Effect of propranolol on naming in chronic Broca's aphasia with anomia

Neurocase. 2007 Aug;13(4):256-9. doi: 10.1080/13554790701595471.

Abstract

Previous research suggests that the noradrenergic system modulates flexibility of access to the lexical-semantic network, with propranolol benefiting normal subjects in lexical-semantic problem solving tasks. Patients with Broca's aphasia with anomia have impaired ability to access appropriate verbal output for a given visual stimulus in a naming task. Therefore, we tested naming in a pilot study of chronic Broca's aphasia patients with anomia after propranolol and after placebo in a double-blinded crossover manner. Naming was better after propranolol than after placebo, suggesting a potential benefit from propranolol in chronic Broca's aphasia with anomia. Larger follow-up studies are necessary to further investigate this effect.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Anomia / drug therapy*
  • Anomia / etiology
  • Anomia / physiopathology
  • Aphasia, Broca / complications
  • Aphasia, Broca / drug therapy*
  • Aphasia, Broca / etiology
  • Association Learning / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Language Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Names*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Propranolol / therapeutic use*
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Stroke / complications

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
  • Propranolol