Abstract: The neuromechanism of language function recovery in patients with aphasia after stroke is still unclear. It is supported that the language function of aphasia after extensive damage of left hemisphere mainly recovered through activating the right hemisphere of homologous regions to improve the function of speech. Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) can be achieved by melody tone and left hand clap to activate the right hemisphere of the frontal temporal lobe, which is particularly applicable to improve language function of non-fluent aphasia patients with large left hemisphere lesion. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (NBS) changes brain activity through stimulating affected or contralateral side, which has been used to facilitate language functional recovery after stroke. Excitatory transcranial stimulation on the right hemisphere homology combined with melodic intonation therapy can promote language recovery of patients with extensive damage of left hemisphere after stroke. It is valuable to combine traditional speech training with MIT and NBS to activate related language functional areas to maximum improvement of language recovery after stroke.

Key words: stroke, aphasia, rehabilitation, melodic intonation therapy, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, review