Speech Rehabilitation Therapy Helps Stroke Patients

Stroke patients generally suffer from a condition of decreased language disability or difficulty speaking or commonly known as aphasia. Disturbances occur in more than a third of people who survive after a stroke has left her brain.

Although most patients recover within a few months later, 60% of them have language impairments more than six months after a stroke. This condition is known as chronic aphasia.

The good news, speech therapy sessions are short but intensive language skills seem to be recovering stroke patients than traditional methods.

Researchers found that stroke patients who have difficulty speaking or understanding speech showed improvement in language and communication skills significantly after undergoing speech therapy intensive short-term.

"Usually the chronic stage of aphasia patients are given about two hours of therapy a week for a year, but we found that it would be better if providing therapy in a shorter time," said researcher Marcus Meinzer, PhD, of Unversitat Konstanz in Konstanz, Germany as quoted by WebMD , Monday (31/10/2011).

In the study, researchers examined the effects of intensive speech therapy in the short term on 27 people suffering from stroke language disorder for about four years.

Each stroke patient receives 30 hours of language training which consists of three hours of exercise a day for 10 days. Language skills of patients were assessed before and immediately after training and six months later.

Speech therapy using a technique called constraint-induced aphasia therapy or CIAT that combines intense verbal communication training with language games that build simple and complex language skills.

This technique encourages stroke patients to talk more than using movement as the primary means of communication.

The results showed that 85% of stroke patients have increased language skills significantly after undergoing an intensive speech therapy. Sustainable improvements also occurred in these patients for six months.

The researchers also found that the increase can occur regardless of the stroke patient's age or the severity of language impairment. In addition, research shows that 15 stroke patients who receive language training supported by family members and friends showed greater improvement.Stroke patients generally suffer from a condition of decreased language disability or difficulty speaking or commonly known as aphasia. Disturbances occur in more than a third of people who survive after a stroke has left her brain.

Although most patients recover within a few months later, 60% of them have language impairments more than six months after a stroke. This condition is known as chronic aphasia.

The good news, speech therapy sessions are short but intensive language skills seem to be recovering stroke patients than traditional methods.

Researchers found that stroke patients who have difficulty speaking or understanding speech showed improvement in language and communication skills significantly after undergoing speech therapy intensive short-term.

"Usually the chronic stage of aphasia patients are given about two hours of therapy a week for a year, but we found that it would be better if providing therapy in a shorter time," said researcher Marcus Meinzer, PhD, of Unversitat Konstanz in Konstanz, Germany as quoted by WebMD , Monday (31/10/2011).

In the study, researchers examined the effects of intensive speech therapy in the short term on 27 people suffering from stroke language disorder for about four years.

Each stroke patient receives 30 hours of language training which consists of three hours of exercise a day for 10 days. Language skills of patients were assessed before and immediately after training and six months later.

Speech therapy using a technique called constraint-induced aphasia therapy or CIAT that combines intense verbal communication training with language games that build simple and complex language skills.

This technique encourages stroke patients to talk more than using movement as the primary means of communication.

The results showed that 85% of stroke patients have increased language skills significantly after undergoing an intensive speech therapy. Sustainable improvements also occurred in these patients for six months.

The researchers also found that the increase can occur regardless of the stroke patient's age or the severity of language impairment. In addition, research shows that 15 stroke patients who receive language training supported by family members and friends showed greater improvement.