Publications
Prevalence of depression in post-stroke aphasia: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Amy Vogel-Eyny, Ye-Jee Jung, JungMoon Hyun, Eleanor Siegle, Aisha Haroun, Samsun Nahar, Sarah Sarkas, Stewart A. Shankman, Samantha Slattery & Sameer Ashaie
Prevalence:
This review found that approximately 32% of people with post-stroke aphasia met criteria for depression.
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Time since stroke:
Depression prevalence did not differ based on how much time had passed since the stroke.
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Method of reporting:
Depression prevalence was similar whether symptoms were reported by:
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the person with aphasia (self-report), or
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a caregiver or clinician (proxy report)
Assessment tools:
Studies used a wide range of depression measures.
Most tools relied heavily on language, and few included aphasia-friendly adaptations.
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Interpretation:
The lack of differences by time post-stroke or reporter suggests that methodological variability in assessment tools, rather than recovery stage, likely contributes to inconsistent prevalence estimates.
Conclusion
Depression is a common and persistent concern in people with post-stroke aphasia.
There is a clear need for validated, communication-accessible depression screening tools for this population.
Feasibility of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation combined with personalized word retrieval for improving naming in primary progressive aphasia
Allan George, Eric McConathey, Amy Vogel-Eyny, Elizabeth Galletta, Giuseppina Pilloni and Leigh Charvet
Out of Leigh Charvet's neuromodulation lab at NYU, our case series shows that home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with speech-language therapy (SLT) is a promising and feasible approach for individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). While larger studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness in slowing language decline, this method makes treatment more accessible and allows for extended therapy sessions—key steps toward making tDCS a widely available telehealth option for PPA care.