Treatment of acquired aphasia: speech therapists and volunteers compared.

TLDR

Improvement in communication during aphasia treatment is attributed to both targeted stimulation based on detailed speech‑therapy assessment and the regular support and encouragement within the therapeutic relationship. The study aimed to compare the effects of speech therapists versus untrained volunteers on post‑stroke aphasia recovery. A multicentre trial enrolled 155 patients, of whom 96 completed the intervention. Both treatment groups showed improvement with no overall difference, and a small subgroup of late starters achieved progress comparable to early starters.

Abstract

This paper reports on a multicentre trial comparing the effects of speech therapists and untrained volunteers on recovery from aphasia following stroke. One hundred and fifty-five patients entered the study and 96 completed it. Patients in both treatment groups improved, and there were no differences overall in the amount of progress made. A small subgroup of patients who started treatment much later had equivalent initial scores and made almost as much progress as those who started earlier. It is suggested that the improvement in communication which occurred during treatment may be due both to the appropriate stimulation which was based on detailed and accurate speech therapy assessment, and to the regular support and encouragement provided within the therapeutic relationship.