How Many Words Should We Provide in Anomia Therapy? A Meta-Analysis and a Case Series Study
Aphasiology
Snell, C., Sage, K., et al. (2010).
Aphasiology, 24(9), 1064-1094.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the effect of the number of words provided in treatment and the effect that anomia severity has on word finding outcomes in individuals with anomia.
Medical Research Council (United Kingdom)
1985-2006
Peer-reviewed controlled studies with baseline data
21
The analysis suggested that a greater number of stimuli was associated with a lower proportion of items learned by individuals with anomia (Spearman's p=-0.4). However, there was a notable bias within these results, with individuals with milder naming impairments being given fewer items to learn than individuals with more severe impairment. Individuals with more mild naming deficits were noted to have greater therapy gains overall (Spearman's p= 0.34) Therefore the research remains inconclusive regarding the relationship between the number of items provided in anomia therapy and treatment outcomes.
