Evaluation of treatment effects of semantic feature analysis on mild anomia in multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly includes anomia and other communicative deficits that affect communicative participation and quality of life. Anomia treatment in MS is currently unexplored. Owing to the degenerative nature of MS, compensatory treatment might be preferable to restorative treatment. Semantic feature analysis (SFA) has been reported to have a treatment effect in aphasia and traumatic brain injury, and it can also be used as a compensatory word-finding strategy. SFA might therefore be effective on anomia in MS.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effects of SFA on mild anomia in MS. Hypotheses were that, if used as a strategy, SFA may improve word-retrieval ability in connected speech, reduce self-perceived word-finding difficulties and increase communicative participation.

Methods & Procedures

Two participants (one with relapsing-remitting MS, one with progressive MS) experiencing anomia and reduced communicative participation took part in this early-phase study with a single-case experimental design (SCED). Outcome measures included accuracy and speed in confrontation naming of treated items, correct information units (CIUs) in a re-telling task, self-reported strategy use in everyday communication, self-reported occurrence of anomia and related nuisance, and self-reported communicative participation. Measurements were carried out before treatment, at the beginning of every third treatment session, once directly after treatment, repeatedly during a maintenance phase, and once at a follow-up session ten weeks after treatment.

Outcomes & Results

No treatment effects on confrontation-naming ability, re-telling ability or self-reported measures were evident in either participant after treatment with SFA. Effects of repeated measures appeared as reduced response time in confrontation naming.

Conclusions

SFA as the sole element of treatment may not be sufficient to obtain treatment effects on mild anomia in MS. Further research is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple sclerosis
• mild anomia
• word retrieval
• semantic feature analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) [2015-00503] and the Swedish Research Council (VR) [2016-01275].