Aphasia is a condition that affects a quarter of survivors ofstroke. It impairs communication skills, including speaking, listening, reading and writing. It can have a profound impact on social relationships, employment and overall quality of life.
New therapy for aphasia
In current UK practice, 90% of speech and language therapists recognize the importance of speech assessment and treatment. However, they face considerable obstacles such as limited resources, time and expertise.
Addressing this critical need, the Language Underpins Narrative in Aphasia (LUNA) intervention used in the study offers a multilevel approach targeting words, sentences, and discourse macrostructure through personalized narratives. This aligns more closely with real-life communication needs.
The study, led by Professors Madeline Cruice and Lucy Dipper from the City’s Center for Language and Communication Sciences Research, involved 28 participants with a. chronic, divided equally into immediate treatment and delayed treatment (control) groups.
The treatment was structured into 20 sessions over 10 weeks, each lasting one hour. The sessions were conducted via Zoom, making therapy accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The LUNA treatment focused on personal narrative monologues, helping participants reconstruct chosen narratives through structured linguistic exercises targeting words, phrases, phrases, and speech macrostructures.
It was seen that LUNA improved the narrative skills of participants who received the treatment compared to the control group. Improvements were also observed in terms of language functioning and mood. These findings highlight the potential of LUNA to effectively improve communication skills among patients with aphasia. The study was published in the journal PLoS One.
Professor Dipper, Professor of Clinical Linguistics, said: “Traditional treatment approaches often focus on treatments at the word and sentence level, but LUNA represents a shift in aphasia treatment to align more closely with real-life communication needs ”.
Professor Cruice, Professor of Aphasia Rehabilitation and Recovery, said: “Our findings demonstrate the potential of narrative-based interventions to make a real difference to the lives of people with aphasia. We hope this study encourages further research and the adoption of discourse-focused therapies,” ultimately leading to more holistic and effective rehabilitation practices.”
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a condition that can affect a person’s ability to communicate. Dr. Hugo Botha, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, helps us understand what a broad term that refers to a problem with language is. So, for example, patients with aphasia may have difficulty understanding what others say, understanding what they read, or may have difficulty putting their own thoughts into words. It’s not a disease in the sense that something like diabetes is. There are many different diseases that can cause aphasia, such as stroke or head injury, or progressive brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
When l is the main symptom of a progressive brain disease, it is called primary progressive aphasia.
Because it can result from many different diseases, specific symptoms, treatment, and prognosis vary greatly depending on the underlying cause and severity.
Aphasia most commonly results from damage to the speech centers in the brain, which in most people are found primarily in the left half of the brain. It is often associated with other symptoms that reflect damage to the left hemisphere of the brain or areas near the speech centers. For example, patients may have difficulty moving or coordinating the right side of the body, have problems with speech, or cognitive problems.
However, aphasia in itself does not mean that someone has cognitive problems outside of language. In fact, many patients with aphasia may appear cognitively impaired because they have difficulty understanding or producing speech. This can be very frustrating for patients and loved ones.
Patients with aphasia may have non-language disorders, particularly those that reflect damage to the left half of the brain. However, aphasia does not imply cognitive impairment, and many patients with aphasia appear more cognitively impaired than they actually are.
The treatment of aphasia can be divided into three categories. The first set of treatments applies to all or most aphasia patients and focuses on improving or maintaining someone’s ability to communicate. This includes speech and language therapy, communication strategies for family and friends, and, in some cases, assistive devices, such as text-to-speech applications.
The second set of treatments depends on the underlying cause of the aphasia. For example, if someone has aphasia due to a stroke, specific treatments may be needed to address the stroke and prevent further strokes.
Likewise, if someone has aphasia due to a progressive brain disease, further testing or treatment may be available. The final series of treatments addresses other symptoms that may accompany aphasia. For example, if patients also have problems with speech or vision due to damage to those areas that occurred along with the aphasia, they may need rehabilitation and specific strategies to address them.
Some treatments apply to almost everyone who suffers from aphasia, such as speech therapy. However, other treatments depend on the cause, so it is crucial to obtain an accurate diagnosis in terms of the cause of the patient’s aphasia.
Pets give a voice to people with aphasia
Feathers, fins or fur, all pets can make us feel happier. Now, new research from the University of South Australia shows that owning and caring for pets can also support communication and wellbeing, especially for people with acquired language difficulties such as aphasia.
In collaboration with Aphasia SA, researchers have found that pets have the unique ability to improve communication among people with aphasia, a language difficulty after brain injury that can affect a person’s ability to speak, listen and connect .
Currently, more than 140,000 Australians live with aphasia.
The study showed that pets can make notable improvements to people’s emotional and social well-being, from boosting their confidence in social situations, to providing them with companionship when they’re feeling down.
UniSA student researcher Charlotte Mitchard says that while each person with aphasia presents differently, the condition often affects a person’s ability to speak, read, write and understand others.
“Aphasia can have a big impact on a person’s life, affecting how they connect and interact with others, as well as how they participate in the community,” says Mitchard.
“People with impaired communication skills can feel quite isolated and alone. But a pet, whether a dog, a cat or even a fish, can give them greater purpose and companionship, which is especially valuable for people who feel isolated because of their condition.
“Pets are also a non-judgmental communication partner, offering friendship without expectations. In fact, one of the most common phrases we heard was ‘my pet doesn’t care if I can’t speak properly, they love me anyway.’”
Professor Maria Kambanaros, a senior researcher and speech therapist, says the study represents a turning point for other pet and health research in the field of speech therapy.
“The next phase of our study will look at how pet ownership can help people who care for those suffering from aphasia,” says Prof. Kambanaros.
“In addition to this, we are also exploring the impact of pet ownership on the well-being of people with several acquired neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.
“We know that pets have a positive impact on our lives. By exploring how speech therapists can support him in therapy, we can promote a much better quality of life.”
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