Darrigrand B, Dutheil S, Michelet V, Rereau S, Rousseaux M, Mazaux JM. Communication impairment and activity limitation in stroke patients with severe aphasia.
Disabil Rehabil 2010;
33:1169-78. [PMID:
20958196 DOI:
10.3109/09638288.2010.524271]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE
This study investigated how patients with severe aphasia communicated in daily living, which verbal and non-verbal communication skills were spared and which were impaired, and whether activity limitations in communication are related to verbal impairments.
METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with severe aphasia and 9 with moderate aphasia originating from a sample of 102 aphasic persons followed up in a French regional survey were assessed with a communication test and a communication activity limitation questionnaire 12-18 months after a first stroke.
RESULTS
Patients with severe aphasia suffered severe activity limitations in communication, with performance 3-fold lower than that of patients with moderate aphasia, and 4-fold lower than scores attained by normals. Both aphasia severity and communication disability at follow-up were related to the initial severity of aphasia. Using a phone, credit card and a chequebook, reading and filling in administrative documents, and communication behaviours involved in social life were the most severely impaired. Non-verbal communication performance was not related to aphasia severity.
CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that there is a great need for speech therapy research to develop new compensatory or alternative strategies for patients with severe aphasia.
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