Darley and the efficacy of language rehabilitation in aphasia

Abstract

In 1972, Frederic L. Darley provided the first comprehensive review on the efficacy of language rehabilitation for aphasia. The “data to date” were sparse−ten reports, mostly descriptive, and mostly retrospective. He concluded that “…any all-inclusive statement about the efficacy of aphasia therapy would be ill-advised” (Darley, 1972, p. 7). Nevertheless, Darley listed the questions that required answers, discussed the problems that plague treatment studies, and suggested study patient selection criteria that required attention. His message was clear: “More data are needed applying to clearly specified samples of the aphasic population subjected to clearly specified regimens of therapy by clinicians, for clearly specified periods” (p. 8). In addition, he concluded that aphasia treatment studies require a richness of description and rigour of procedure to “… increase the likelihood that 10 years hence the profession will enjoy substantial agreement about the nature of language breakdown and what can best be done for it” (p. 20). This paper examines whether, almost 30 years hence, the subsequent efforts have followed Darley's directions and answered his questions.