According to the World Health Organization, 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year and of the survivors, twenty-five to forty percent will acquire aphasia. The National Aphasia Association defines aphasia as “an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write.” Many of these people suffering from aphasia will undergo therapy at some point in time. Several approaches have been proven effective in lessening the symptoms of aphasia. A recent topic of interest over the last two decades has been the role that intensity plays in aphasia therapy. Several studies have been done to evaluate language outcomes for patients undergoing intensive versus non-intensive aphasia therapy, as well as to identify the specific intensive therapies that are effective. One such type of therapy is the Constraint-Induced Language Therapy (CILT). Another topic of interest in the aphasia community is regarding the “window of recovery” for those suffering from aphasia. It was commonly believed that language recovery from aphasia plateaus off within the first year following a stroke (Pedersen et al., 1995); however, new evidence suggests that when an intensive therapy such as CILT is implemented, results can be seen many years later. The present paper will investigate the role that intensity plays in aphasia therapy, take a closer look at CILT versus other approaches, and evaluate current research regarding the “window of recovery” in patients with aphasia.
The bulk of research examining intensity of treatment (sometimes known as dosage) has been completed within the last twenty years. Among these studies, there has been evidence both for and against implementing therapy in an intensive mann...
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...ook at the effect that these variables had on measures of language impairment in people with stroke-induced aphasia. This study also supported the idea that an increased intensity of therapy was associated with improvements of language impairment.
Many studies that explore effects of treatment intensity on aphasia recovery do so by looking at a specific type of intensive therapy known as Constraint-Induced Language Therapy (CILT). Pulvermuller et al. (2001) was the first to examine how constraints placed on a person with aphasia so as to limit them to only a verbal means of communication might improve verbal output. The idea stemmed from evidence in the physical therapy field that large motor improvements are possible when the lesser affected limb is constrained and intensive therapy is provided to the more severely affected limb (Taub, Uswatte, Pidikiti, 1999).
Wernicke's Aphasia occurs from damage to the superior temporal gyrus and affects language comprehension, while speech production is unaffected, which is why it is referred to as "fluent aphasia." Wernicke's patients produce speech fluently, but it is mostly nonsensical speech and have trouble understanding what is being told to them. Unlike Broca's Aphasia patients, they are not aware of their speech problems.
In the process of this experiment, there were a total of two bilingual aphasics and eight monolingual aphasics who were tested through nine different EF test batteries to measure their level of EF which includes behavioural inhibition (response inhibition & interference control), working memory, planning/problem solving and reconstitution. The nine EF test batteries consists of the Stroop Color Word Test, Trail Making Test, Self-Ordered Pointing Test, Complex Figures, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Tower of London, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Five Point Test and Design Fluency. The main focus of the experimentation was to test these 10 different individuals through conversation to investigate their EF profiles. To attain these results, each
Scientists are on the brink of doing the unthinkable-replenishing the brains of people who have suffered strokes or head injuries to make them whole again. If that is not astonishing enough, they think they may be able to reverse paralysis. The door is at last open to lifting the terrifying sentence these disorders still decree-loss of physical function, cognitive skills, memory, and personality.
The goal in any therapeutic setting is to assist a client with gaining effective tools to have a healthy, meaningful life, provide emotional support and offer advice. Therapy does involve “…transition and change, which can be anxiety producing for any client” (Williams and Abeles, p 645). In addition to expressing feelings, needs and experiences, communication can and is being expressed through non-verbal queues, whether the individual has the ability to speak or not. Examples of non-verbal queues could include: posture, strong emotions, and rate of breath. These language queues are common to people, however the use of sign language is not universal language. “While it would be ideal to be able to match deaf patients with therapists fluent in their preferred language mode, this is often not feasible in smaller centers” (Porter, 1999, 163). Counselors seek...
Hegde, M. N. (2001). Pocketguide to treatment in speech-language pathology. (2nd ed., pp. 193-203). San Diego, CA: Singular Thomson Learning.
The neuroanatomical approach to aphasia relies on the localization of lesions on the brain in addition to clinical observation in order to classify patients according to syndromes. For example, according to the neuroanatomical approach, Broca’s aphasia, which us usually associated with a lesions on the posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the brain, has cardinal features that distinguish is from other fluent and non-fluent aphasias (e.g. poor repetition, poor repetition and poor naming with good auditory comprehension).
However, due to being such a rare circumstance, most individuals usually have to seek help to overcome this disorder. Depending on the severity of one’s aphasia, an intervention plan is made to address your individual needs. Your intervention plan is also affected by your age, health, and motivation for seeking treatment. The goal for intervention for Wernicke’s Aphasia is to exceed recovery when comparing it to how ‘recovered’ one can get when spontaneously getting better from aphasia. The goal is also to also be able to execute more motor abilities when speaking so that one’s speech can start having meaning. Typically in an intervention to help this disorder, treatment may include performing activities that will help in such areas; working on motor abilities to enhance meaningful speech, and even practicing comprehending photos into verbal words. Schools of thought behind how interventions are conducted are to mostly strengthen basic comprehension skills by making connections between visual understanding and verbal expression. A strategy that uses this is Semantic Feature Analysis, the utilization of pictures and questions. By using this strategy, it exercises the brain's capability in making connections and strengthens one’s comprehension
Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that disrupts communication and it can deteriorate a person’s coping potential and quality of life (Parr, 2001) which involve damage to the parts of brain that contain language (ASHA, 2013). Statistics from United States indicated around 25-40% of stroke survivors developed aphasia (National Association of Aphasia, NAA, 2013). Aphasia will affect both the ability to produce or comprehend spoken language and written language while intelligence is left intact (NAA, 2013). In US, it is found that the most common cause of aphasia is stroke (85%) and others including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), brain tumor or other degenerative diseases (NAA, 2013).
Aphasia can be defined as a disorder that is caused by damage to parts of the brain that are responsible for language (“Aphasia” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia is a type of fluent aphasia (with the other type being nonfluent). It is named after Carl Wernicke who described the disorder as “an amnesiac disorder characterized by fluent but disordered speech, with a similar disorder in writing, and impaired understanding of oral speech and reading” (“Wernicke’s” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia can also be known as sensory aphasia, fluent aphasia, or receptive aphasia. It is a type of aphasia that is caused by damage to Wernicke’s area in the brain, in the posterior part of the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere. This area of the brain contains motor neurons responsible for the understanding of spoken language and is believed to be the receptive language center (“Rogers” n.p.). Wernicke’s aphasia can be most efficiently defined as a fluent language disorder commonly caused by strokes and characterized by difficulty comprehending spoken language and producing meaningful speech and writing which is both assessable by an SLP and treatable by a variety of methods.
Skenes, L. L., & McCauley, R. J. (1985). Psychometric review of nine aphasia tests. Journal of Communication Disorders, 18(6), 461-474. doi: 10.1016/0021-9924(85)90033-4
Stroke is a medical condition most people are familiar with, but most people are unaware of its effect on memory functions. There have been several studies conducted that study of effects of stroke on different memory systems, how to properly assess memory damage in stroke patients as well as how to improve memory after stroke. A major theme from the course that relates to stroke and memory is the theme of metamemory and its components such as prospective memory. Personally, I believe that these studies offer hope to stroke victims and their families because memory damage can evaluated and therefore a method of treatment can be developed.
"My most valuable tool is words, the words I can now use only with difficulty. My voice is debilitated - mute, a prisoner of a communication system damaged by a stroke that has robbed me of language," stated A. H. Raskins, one of approximately one million people in the United States who suffer from aphasia (1), a disorder which limits the comprehension and expression of language. It is an acquired impairment due to brain injury in the left cerebral hemisphere. The most common cause of aphasia is a stroke, but other causes are brain tumors, head injury, or other neuralgic illnesses. Of the estimated 400,000 strokes which occur a year, approximately 80,000 of those patients develop some form of aphasia (2). Another important observation is that within the United States, there are twice as many people with aphasia as there are individuals with Parkinson's disease (2). Yet, what is so astounding is the lack of public awareness about aphasia. Aphasia attacks an intricate part of a person's daily life - the simple act of communication and sharing. The disbursement of such a tool deprives an individual of education learned through their life, often leaving the ill fated feeling hopeless and alone. In considering the effects of aphasia, a deeper analysis of the two most common forms of aphasia will be examined: Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia. While both forms occur usually as a result of a stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain, their particular site of impairment produces different side effects in an individual's comprehension and speech. These regions have been further studied through experimental researches such as positron emission tomography (PET). Moreover, although there is currently no cure for the disorder, there are treatments and certain guidelines to follow when encountering an aphasic.
There comes a time in our life when we know what we want to say, but it does not come out the way we thought it would. Such as being worried about reading out loud in class, going up to an employee in a fast food restaurant to order a simple meal, or making a presentation in class can be terrifying for most individuals with an articulation disorder. An articulation disorder consist of having difficulties producing sounds, substituting sounds, leaving out letters in a word, or adding or changing letters in a word. In most cases when individuals have trouble articulating words he/she might have problems with the main articulators which include: the jaw, lips, teeth, tongue, velum, alveolar ridge, and hard/soft palate. These articulators play
In this world, humans and animals alike have come to communicate by using various mechanisms. Humans have advanced themselves beyond other organisms by using language, or a set of codes and symbols, in order to express themselves to others. Language has brought about a means to create new thoughts, to explore, and to analyze our everyday surroundings. It has also enabled us to retain past memories and to look deep into the advances for the future. However, for some individuals, this tool for communication has been plagued by a language and speech disorders, such as aphasia. Aphasia is the loss of the ability to speak or understand speech or written language. It is often detected at an early age, and contributes to the general class of speech and language disorders affecting "5% of school aged children" (1) . Aphasia is classified into three categories. The main two are receptive or sensory aphasia and expressive or motor aphasia. Receptive aphasia affects the input side and "the ability to understand spoken or written language may be partially or totally lost" (1) . Those with expressive aphasia "can speak but not find certain words or names, or may be totally unable to communicate verbally or by writing" (1) . For a majority of affected individuals, there is a combination of the two. The third type is conduction aphasia. This "involves disruption of transmission between the sensory and motor ends of the circuit" (1) . Here, individuals are able to produce speech despite the lack of connections to the input side. It seems that the ability to speak has a lot to do with your surroundings and how much emphasis was placed on developing this skill during the first few years after birth. Afterall, it's known that the first few years are critical because this is the time when the brain is "plastic" and is rapidly changing and being molded. By the time that adolescence is reached, the brain has become "less plastic". In this paper, I would like to explore theories proposed to try to understand the origins of this impairment.
Persson, Inga-Britt. Connectionism, language production and adult aphasia: elaboration of a connectionist framework for lexical processing and a hypothesis of agrammatic aphasia. Helsinki, Finland: Societas Scientiarum Fennica, 1995.