Improvement of Spontaneous Language in Stroke Patients With Chronic Aphasia Treated With Music Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal

International Journal of Neuroscience

Year

2016

Abstract

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of active music therapy (MT) based on free-improvisation (relational approach) in addition to speech language therapy (SLT) compared with SLT alone (communicative-pragmatic approach: Promoting Aphasic's Communicative Effectiveness) in stroke patients with chronic aphasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experimental group (n = 10) was randomized to 30 MT individual sessions over 15 weeks in addition to 30 SLT individual sessions while the control group (n = 10) was randomized to only 30 SLT sessions during the same period. Psychological and speech language assessment were made before (T0) and after (T1) the treatments. RESULTS: The study shows a significant improvement in spontaneous speech in the experimental group (Aachener Aphasie subtest: p = 0.020; Cohen's d = 0.35); the 50% of the experimental group showed also an improvement in vitality scores of Short Form Health Survey (chi-square test = 4.114; p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: The current trial highlights the possibility that the combined use of MT and SLT can lead to a better result in the rehabilitation of patients with aphasia than SLT alone.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Aphasia; Cognitive Abilities; Music Therapy; Quality of Life; Recreative Music Methods; Rehabilitation Exercises; Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation; Stroke

Indexed Terms

Language; Stroke Rehabilitation; Elderly; Elderly; aphasia; Aphasia; Brain Ischemia; Quality of Life; rehabilitation; speech language therapy; Speech; stroke; Stroke

Study Type

Randomized Controlled; Trial; Quantitative Methods

Document Type

Article

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