Treatability of different components of aphasia--Insights from a case study

Abstract

Abstract-In this phase I clinical rehabilitation study, we investigated the effects of phonological rehabilitation for alexia and aphasia in an individual 54 years after a left-hemisphere ischemic infarction. In the context of a single-subject design, we studied whether treatment would improve phonological processing, reading, and generalization to untreated behaviors. While results showed a lack of generalization to real-word reading aloud, improvement was present in phonological processing, language function (Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient, Boston Naming Test, Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia), and auditory processing (Revised Token Test). Improvement in the lexical-semantic system was attributed to informal forced-use language treatment. We concluded that phonological therapies are unlikely to be successful unless a minimum initial level of phonological sequence knowledge exists; therapies that pressure subjects to use verbal communication can achieve clinically important gains in communicative ability that generalize to untreated behaviors. This study also demonstrates the importance of a careful analysis of the patient's language ability before a therapeutic strategy is chosen.

Translational Research in Aphasia: From Neuroscience to Neurorehabilitation

“…Studies examining recovery in aphasia show that most spontaneous recovery actually occurs within the first 2 months post-aphasia onset (e.g., Holland, Greenhouse, Fromm, & Swindell, 1989). Although treatment effects are greatest in acute stages of aphasia recovery, several studies have reported remarkable gains in language abilities many years following aphasia onset (e.g., Kendall et al, 2006).…”

Grey and white matter correlates of picture naming: Evidence from a voxel-based lesion analysis of the Boston Naming Test

“…The BNT is a standardized naming test that has been normed on several populations, published as a shortened version, and translated into several languages (e.g., Pedraza et al, 2009; Kohnert et al, 1998; Mack et al, 1992; Tombaugh and Hubley, 1997). The BNT has been used extensively as an outcome measure in clinical studies (e.g., Kendall et al, 2006; Naeser et al, 2010) and thus, understanding its neural underpinnings would add significant clinical value.…”

Theoretical Implications of Contemporary Brain Science for Japanese EFL Learning

“…Some of these programs already exist, though in a very different place than we might expect: therapies for aphasic patients, who are unable to use entire cognitive routes, have been designed to support or develop various processes damaged by illness. Certain components from these could be incorporated into EFL policy, or at least be evaluated for the way they target specific cognitive activities or practices (Beeson et al., ; Greenwald, ; Kendall et al., ). Of course, these should only be considered by planners following their own programmatic needs analyses, after discussion with other planners, researchers, cognitive scientists, and even medical doctors conducting research into the human brain and language‐related phenomena.…”