Effects of impairment-based individual and socially oriented group therapies on verb production in aphasia

Abstract

Purpose: Two philosophies of intervention exist in aphasia rehabilitation: impairment-based approaches and socially oriented approaches. Both approaches have been shown to improve communication in persons with aphasia, but no studies have directly compared the effects of each approach or a combined approach on a targeted linguistic skill. This article explores the effects of individual and group therapies used both in isolation and in combination on verb production in aphasia.

Methods: Twelve individuals with chronic aphasia were trained on transitive verbs under three conditions—individual, group and combined—over a 6-week interval. Treatment was counterbalanced across subject and training groups. A delayed-treatment, within-participant design was used. Verb probe data were collected at 10 points throughout the study. Language measures were taken at two intervals pre- and two intervals post-treatment. Functional, narrative and quality-of-life measures were taken once pre- and once post-treatment.

Results: Significant change was observed on linguistic, functional communication and quality-of-life measures. There was no significant effect of treatment condition.

Conclusions: The results provide evidence of linguistic and psychosocial change in individuals with chronic aphasia following this treatment. Results failed to find that one treatment condition was superior to others.

Keywords:

• aphasia
• treatment
• verb production
• socially oriented treatment
• impairment-based treatment