Speech and Language Therapy for Aphasia Following Stroke
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Brady, M. C., Kelly, H., et al. (2016).
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6), CD000425.
This updated systematic review investigates the effects of speech and language therapy intervention on language and communication in adults with stroke-induced aphasia.
The Cochrane Collaboration; Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit (United Kingdom); Chief Scientist Office Scotland (United Kingdom)
Up to September 2015
Randomized controlled trials
57
The findings from 27 randomized controlled trials revealed that speech and language treatment was more effective than no treatment. Speech and language treatment "resulted in clinically and statistically significant benefits to patients' functional communication (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 0.49, P = 0.01), reading, writing, and expressive language" (p. 2). Further research is needed to determine if benefits are maintained at follow-up.
The findings from 38 randomized controlled trials comparing frequency and intensity concluded that functional communication was significantly better when patients received "therapy at a high intensity, high dose, or over a long duration compared to those that received therapy at a lower intensity, lower dose, or over a shorter period of time" (p. 2). However, further research is warranted due to confounding dropout rates and small number of participants.
A meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials found no difference in functional communication when comparing conventional speech and language treatment to speech and language treatment with social support and stimulation (e.g., adjunctive emotional, psychosocial support groups).
