Socio-demographic factors associated with quality of life after a multicomponent aphasia group therapy in people with sub-acute and chronic post-stroke aphasia

ABSTRACT

Background: Group therapy has shown benefit in language recovery in patients with aphasia (PWA). However, many in the field question its role in improving quality of life for PWA, as well as whether socio-demographic factors are related to observed improvements.

Aims: To explore socio-demographic characteristics potentially associated with improvement in quality of life following a multicomponent aphasia group therapy program in people with sub-acute and chronic stroke-related aphasia.

Methods and procedures: This proof of concept Phase I pre- and post-test study investigated outcomes from 26 PWA more than 3 months after their first ischemic stroke following a multicomponent group therapy program. Each therapeutic group consisted of 5 to 6 participants, with a therapy intensity of 90 min twice a week for 12 weeks, and a total dose of 36 h. The primary outcome was the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life scale (SAQOL-39). The Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination Short Form (BDAE-SF) was used to evaluate potential changes in communication after therapy. Socio-demographic factors were analysed with respect to post-group SAQOL-39 scores.

Outcomes and Results: A total of 26 patients participated in at least 80% of the therapy program, 65.4% male, mean age 59.2 years and a median post-stroke time of 8 months. Only the SAQOL-39 communication domain showed a significant increase after therapy (from 2.89 to 3.47; p = 0.016). There was a significant improvement in all aspects of the BDAE-SF after the group therapy. Being younger, having a caregiver, a larger number of people in the household, and being female were related to a greater gain in the SAQOL-39 communication domain. Younger PWA and milder aphasia severity were related to higher mean psychological domain scores after therapy.

Conclusions and Implications: Multicomponent aphasia group therapy for PWA more than 3 months post-stroke may contribute to improving communication-related quality of life. Socio-demographic and stroke-related factors may be associated with a better therapeutic response. Future research should investigate the efficacy of this group therapy in a controlled trial, and the utility of treatment response predictors.

KEYWORDS:

• Aphasia
• quality of life
• therapy
• group
• treatment
• efficacy

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Norberto Luis Cabral (in memoriam) who provided the JOINVASC data and all support for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.