Effect of Computer Therapy in Aphasia: A Systematic Review
Aphasiology
Zheng, C., Lynch, L., et al. (2016).
Aphasiology, 30(2-3), 211-244.
This systematic review compares the effect of computer-based therapy for aphasia to the effect of clinician-delivered therapy or no therapy on communication outcomes (e.g., verbal expression and comprehension, reading and writing, gesture) in adults, 18 years and older, with chronic aphasia secondary to acquired brain injury.
Not stated
No limits on dates searched
Studies with a control group comparison
7
<div>Three studies compared the effectiveness of computer-based treatment delivered by a clinician compared to those completed independently. No significant difference was found between service delivery models, with all studies reporting improvements in language outcomes for individuals with chronic aphasia post stroke. Further research is needed due to small number of studies and methodological quality of included studies.</div>
<div>Five out of 6 studies reported significantly improved language in individuals with chronic, stroke-associated aphasia following computer-based treatments. Overall, the findings of the review found support for the use of computer-based treatment for individuals with chronic aphasia, specifically, participants <65 years of age with moderate non-fluent aphasia and no other communication or cognitive deficits. However, further research is needed to examine additional patient, treatment and service delivery characteristics that impact the outcomes of computer-based treatments.</div>
