Treatment-Induced Neuroplasticity Following Intensive Constrained and Unconstrained Language Therapy in a Case of Severe Non-fluent Aphasia

The role of intensity in constraint-induced language therapy for people with chronic aphasia

“…Differential diagnosis of AOS is difficult, particularly for those with more severe aphasia deficits where symptoms of groping and variability of errors may be attributable to the aphasia (Duffy, 2012). AOS is generally thought to negatively impact aphasia treatment, but participants with AOS have been included in previous CILT studies with positive results (e.g., Kurland, Silva, Burke, & Iyer, 2011;Kurland et al, 2012;Maher et al, 2006), and thus AOS was not considered as criteria for exclusion. While taking part in the study, from the time of baseline data collection to follow-up testing 4 weeks post-treatment, individuals did not participate in any other form of language rehabilitation, including social aphasia groups.…”

“…Kurland et al (2011) noted that when the severity of AOS greatly limits the practice of accurate productions, a traditional articulatory-kinematic treatment might be more effective in a goal of accuracy of production. In the current study, the two participants with the most marked AOS characteristics (I2 and D1) made minimal progress within treatment sessions as well as on most WAB-R subtests of oral verbal production.…”