Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Speech Fluency In Acquired Apraxia Of Speech During Narrative Discourse: Group Comparisons And Dual Task Effects, Tyson G. Harmon, Adam Jacks, Katarina L. Haley

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Slowed speech and interruptions to the flow of connected speech are common in aphasia. These features are also observed during dual task performance for neurotypical adults. The purposes of this study were to determine (a) whether indices of fluency related to cognitive-linguistic versus motor processing would differ between speakers with aphasia plus AOS and speakers with aphasia only and (b) whether cognitive load reduces fluency in speakers with aphasia with and without AOS.

Method: Fourteen speakers with aphasia (seven with AOS) and seven neurotypical controls retold short stories alone (single task) and while simultaneously distinguishing between a high and …

A Review Of Attention, Memory, Word Finding, And Executive Function To Support Client Rehabilitation In A Group Therapy Setting, Anna Uftring, Michelle Estand, Annie Heineman, Samantha Marusiak

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

This paper is a review of attention, memory, word finding, and executive function to support individuals with deficits in these areas seen in a rehabilitative speech-language therapy setting. Each chapter contains a definition of the domain and describes the subdomains included. The chapters also include the neurology associated with the domain and common disorders that include deficits in the areas of attention, memory, word finding, and executive functioning. At the end of each chapter, recommended treatment principles are provided to guide therapy with each domain. This paper was created to accompany a therapy manual titled “Providing Connections Through Group Therapy” …

Promoting Aphasia Awareness, Yvonne M. Faria, Fiona Mcnulty, Veronica C. Gonzalez, Peggy S. Conner

Publications and Research

The National Aphasia Association defines aphasia as an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and ability to write. This communication disorder is typically acquired after a brain injury resulting from an accident or stroke. Nearly 180,000 Americans acquire aphasia each year. Despite efforts to increase awareness about aphasia, via organizations such as the National Aphasia Association, general knowledge is still limited. In 2000 Elman and colleagues collected data on the number of news articles that mentioned the term “aphasia” and compared it to similar health conditions with comparable or lower prevalence rates. They found that these …

Aphasia Simulation: A Perspective From The Student And Standardized Patient, Suzanne Moineau, Deb Bennett, Alison Scheer-Cohen

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The aim of the current study was to examine student ability, student and standardized patient perceptions of competency, and student perceptions of effectiveness of simulation methodology for conducting language screenings on individuals with aphasia. Graduate students enrolled in a mandatory course on acquired language disorders (n = 36) completed a variety of simulated learning experiences using videos, high-fidelity manikins, and standardized patients, in preparing them for clinical practice with persons with aphasia. 5-point Likert scales and open-ended survey questions relating to student and standardized patients’ perceptions were administered. Results demonstrated a strong positive perception that simulation promotes student understanding of …

The Efficacy Of Tele-Practice On Expressive Language Outcomes For Adults With Aphasia, Erin Fifield, Morgan Bailey, Lauren Burningham

Communication Sciences and Disorders: Systematic Review Publications

Access to skilled speech and language intervention can be difficult for individuals residing in rural areas as well as for individuals with complex health and mobility issues. Telehealth (including therapy and rehabilitation) can provide effective services in the context of one’s home, allowing clinicians to reach a wider population of individuals.
Purpose: To determine whether tele-practice service delivery produces positive expressive language outcomes that are comparable to direct service delivery for adults with aphasia.
Method: A variety of databases were searched utilizing systematic inclusionary and exclusionary criteria. Research focused on adults over the age of 18 with a formal diagnosis …

Robotic Arm Rehabilitation In Chronic Stroke Patients With Aphasia May Promote Speech And Language Recovery (But Effect Is Not Enhanced By Supplementary Tdcs), Adam Buchwald, Carolyn Falconer, Avrielle Rykman-Peltz, Mar Cortes, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Gary W. Thickbroom, Hermano Igo Krebs, Felipe Fregni, Linda M. Gerber, Clara Oromendia, Johanna Chang, Bruce T. Volpe, Dylan J. Edwards

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: This study aimed to determine the extent to which robotic arm rehabilitation for chronic stroke may promote recovery of speech and language function in individuals with aphasia.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 17 individuals from a hemiparesis rehabilitation study pairing intensive robot assisted therapy with sham or active tDCS and evaluated their speech (N = 17) and language (N = 9) performance before and after a 12-week (36 session) treatment regimen. Performance changes were evaluated with paired t-tests comparing pre- and post-test measures. There was no speech therapy included in the treatment protocol.

Results: Overall, the individuals …

The Effects Of Enactment On Communicative Competence In Aphasic Casual Conversation: A Functional Linguistic Perspective, Rimke Groenewold, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Previous research has shown that speakers with aphasia rely on enactment more often than non-brain-damaged language users. Several studies have been conducted to explain this observed increase, demonstrating that spoken language containing enactment is easier to produce and is more engaging to the conversation partner. This paper describes the effects of the occurrence of enactment in casual conversation involving individuals with aphasia on its level of conversational assertiveness. Aims: To evaluate whether and to what extent the occurrence of enactment in speech of individuals with aphasia contributes to its conversational assertiveness. Methods & Procedures: Conversations between a speaker with …

Thrombolysis And Early Speech And Language Recovery After Stroke, Sarah E. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Speech and language impairments after left hemisphere stroke are life altering. Neuroprotective interventions, such as tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, are utilized to diminish the impact of the stroke on functional ability.

The purpose of this study was to examine speech and language recovery in the first three months after stroke in individuals with aphasia and to further investigate any differences between individuals who did and individuals who did not receive tPA, using objective speech and language measures.

Twenty-six individuals, thirteen of whom received tPA and thirteen who did not, suffering from first-ever left hemisphere stroke with resulting aphasia were …

Joint Decision-Making In Married Couples Affected By Aphasia, Ryan S. Husak

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Background: Aphasia is an acquired language disorder, usually due to stroke, that affects the social functioning and the quality of life of the person with aphasia as well as the quality of life of his or her family and caregivers. Traditional aphasia therapy has tended to focus on decontextualized tasks and discrete elements of language functioning. The Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) focuses on the collaborative nature of communication and addresses communication within personally relevant contexts. Joint decision-making is one type of social interaction that occurs frequently between married couples and has received considerable attention in the literature. …

The Association Between Post-Stroke Depression, Aphasia, And Physical Independence In Stroke Patients At 3-Month Follow-Up, Shuo Wang, Chun-Xue Wang, Ning Zhang, Yu-Tao Xiang, Yang Yang, Yu-Zhi Shi, Yi-Ming Deng, Mei-Fang Zhu, Fei Liu, Ping Yu, Gabor S. Ungvari, Chee H. Ng

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Few studies have examined the association between post-stroke depression (PSD), aphasia, and physical independence in Chinese patients. This study investigated the above association in stroke patients in China at 3-month follow-up.

Methods: Altogether 270 patients within 14 days after ischemic stroke were recruited and followed up at 3 months. PSD, aphasia, and physical functional status were measured using the Stroke Aphasia Depression Questionnaire (SADQ), Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), and modified Rankin Scale (mRS), respectively. Patients with mRS total score >2 were considered as having “physical dependence.”

Results: Out of 248 patients at 3-month follow up, 119 (48%) were rated …

The Role Of Stress In The Differential Diagnosis Of Apraxia Of Speech And Aphasia, Jennifer G. Ferranti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore and develop the quantification of AOS features, particularly the deficits of prosodic elements, lexical stress and duration. This study investigated whether PVI can be used as a sensitive tool for the differential diagnosis of AOS. Specifically, we sought to determine whether analysis of vowel length of stressed and unstressed syllables is helpful in differentiating between individuals with AOS and aphasia versus aphasia alone. Significant differences support the hypothesis that PVI, analyzed from vowel length, is uniquely affected in AOS. This yields reason for further research in prosodic deficits in differential diagnosis, as …

Aphasia Couples Therapy: A Case Study Of Conversational Coaching For A Man With Conduction Aphasia, Adriana Joma

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the effects of aphasia couples therapy (ACT) in a person with conduction aphasia. ACT is a social therapeutic approach that involves facilitating conversations between the person with aphasia (PWA) and their spouse, or caregiver. The participants in this study involved one pair. The dependent variables included conveyance of main concepts, use of intentional gestures, reflections and summary statements per conversation. Miscellaneous measures were also counted and analyzed including the PWA’s frequency of paraphasias, fillers (e.g. um, uh), and disfluencies. Baseline sessions involved the PWA watching a video clip, …

Proactive Social Validation Of Methods And Procedures Used For Training Speech Production In Aphasia, Tyson G. Harmon, Lucy Hardy, Katarina L. Haley

Faculty Publications

Background: Social validation evaluates the importance and acceptability of treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes. Previous studies for treatments that train speech production in aphasia have applied social validation during the post-treatment period or to treatment protocols that are already fully developed.

Aims: The purposes of this study were to (1) examine the social validity of goals and procedures experienced in speech production treatment for people with aphasia and (2) evaluate the feasibility of procedural choice-making during such tasks.

Method: Seven people with aphasia and eight speech-language pathologists were interviewed about previous treatment that targeted speech production. Participants were also observed …