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Background Major neurocognitive disorder (MND) alters cognition, memory and language, and consequently affects communication. Speech–language therapy (SLT) may alleviate communication difficulties. Aims This pilot study explored the effects of intensive SLT emphasizing memory, language, and discourse impairment and complementary communication strategies, called Aid for Communication—For Persons Who Live with MND (AID-COMp). Methods & Procedures We employed a mixed design using quantitative and qualitative methods with four dyads, including a person living with MND (PwMND) and a family carer. The design included a control period, and we tested participants before (T1) and after 2 months without therapy (T2). AID-COMp was then provided intensively three times per week for 10 sessions and participants were tested again (T3). Participants were also involved in an individual qualitative interview after therapy ended, probing their experience and possible effects on their lives. AID-COMp included: (1) spaced retrieval to teach the use of a memory book; (2) semantic and phonological therapy for lexical access; (3) discourse treatment based on the analysis of the macrostructure and microstructure of stories in pictures and texts; and (4) PACE therapy for generalization. Carers were not included in treatment, did not attend sessions and were only involved in the evaluations. Measures included language, communication, cognitive and well-being tests. Paired t-tests (one-tailed) compared scores for the control period, that is, T1 versus T2. We compared scores after therapy (T3) with those at T2. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. Outcomes & Results For the control period, only text comprehension scores significantly decreased in PwMND. After therapy, improvements occurred on the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the well-being measure for the PwMND. Carer scores were unchanged after therapy except for their pe

Background Major neurocognitive disorder (MND) alters cognition, memory and language, and consequently affects communication. Speech–language therapy (SLT) may alleviate communication difficulties. Aims This pilot study explored the effects of intensive SLT emphasizing memory, language, and discourse impairment and complementary communication strategies, called Aid for Communication—For Persons Who Live with MND (AID-COMp). Methods & Procedures We employed a mixed design using quantitative and qualitative methods with four dyads, including a person living with MND (PwMND) and a family carer. The design included a control period, and we tested participants before (T1) and after 2 months without therapy (T2). AID-COMp was then provided intensively three times per week for 10 sessions and participants were tested again (T3). Participants were also involved in an individual qualitative interview after therapy ended, probing their experience and possible effects on their lives. AID-COMp included: (1) spaced retrieval to teach the use of a memory book; (2) semantic and phonological therapy for lexical access; (3) discourse treatment based on the analysis of the macrostructure and microstructure of stories in pictures and texts; and (4) PACE therapy for generalization. Carers were not included in treatment, did not attend sessions and were only involved in the evaluations. Measures included language, communication, cognitive and well-being tests. Paired t-tests (one-tailed) compared scores for the control period, that is, T1 versus T2. We compared scores after therapy (T3) with those at T2. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. Outcomes & Results For the control period, only text comprehension scores significantly decreased in PwMND. After therapy, improvements occurred on the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the well-being measure for the PwMND. Carer scores were unchanged after therapy except for their pe

Background Major neurocognitive disorder (MND) alters cognition, memory and language, and consequently affects communication. Speech–language therapy (SLT) may alleviate communication difficulties. Aims This pilot study explored the effects of intensive SLT emphasizing memory, language, and discourse impairment and complementary communication strategies, called Aid for Communication—For Persons Who Live with MND (AID-COMp). Methods & Procedures We employed a mixed design using quantitative and qualitative methods with four dyads, including a person living with MND (PwMND) and a family carer. The design included a control period, and we tested participants before (T1) and after 2 months without therapy (T2). AID-COMp was then provided intensively three times per week for 10 sessions and participants were tested again (T3). Participants were also involved in an individual qualitative interview after therapy ended, probing their experience and possible effects on their lives. AID-COMp included: (1) spaced retrieval to teach the use of a memory book; (2) semantic and phonological therapy for lexical access; (3) discourse treatment based on the analysis of the macrostructure and microstructure of stories in pictures and texts; and (4) PACE therapy for generalization. Carers were not included in treatment, did not attend sessions and were only involved in the evaluations. Measures included language, communication, cognitive and well-being tests. Paired t-tests (one-tailed) compared scores for the control period, that is, T1 versus T2. We compared scores after therapy (T3) with those at T2. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. Outcomes & Results For the control period, only text comprehension scores significantly decreased in PwMND. After therapy, improvements occurred on the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the well-being measure for the PwMND. Carer scores were unchanged after therapy except for their pe

Attempts to personalize aphasia treatment to the extent where it is possible to reliably predict individual response to a particular treatment have yielded inconclusive results. The current study aimed to (i) compare the effects of phonologically versus semantically focussed naming treatment and (ii) examine biographical and neuropsychological baseline factors predictive of response to each treatment. One hundred and four individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia underwent 3 weeks of phonologically focussed treatment and 3 weeks of semantically focussed treatment in an unblinded cross-over design. A linear mixed-effects model was used to compare the effects of treatment type on proportional change in correct naming across groups. Correlational analysis and stepwise regression models were used to examine biographical and neuropsychological predictors of response to phonological and semantic treatment across all participants. Last, chi-square tests were used to explore the association between treatment response and phonological and semantic deficit profiles. Semantically focussed treatment was found to be more effective at the group-level, independently of treatment order (P = 0.041). Overall, milder speech and language impairment predicted good response to semantic treatment (r range: 0.256-0.373) across neuropsychological tasks. The Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Spontaneous Speech score emerged as the strongest predictor of semantic treatment response (R 2 = 0.188). Severity of stroke symptoms emerged as the strongest predictor of phonological treatment response (R 2 = 0.103). Participants who showed a good response to semantic treatment were more likely to present with fluent speech compared to poor responders (P = 0.005), whereas participants who showed a good response to phonological treatment were more likely to present with apraxia of speech (P = 0.020). These results suggest that semantic treatment may be more beneficial to the improvement of naming perfo

Attempts to personalize aphasia treatment to the extent where it is possible to reliably predict individual response to a particular treatment have yielded inconclusive results. The current study aimed to (i) compare the effects of phonologically versus semantically focussed naming treatment and (ii) examine biographical and neuropsychological baseline factors predictive of response to each treatment. One hundred and four individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia underwent 3 weeks of phonologically focussed treatment and 3 weeks of semantically focussed treatment in an unblinded cross-over design. A linear mixed-effects model was used to compare the effects of treatment type on proportional change in correct naming across groups. Correlational analysis and stepwise regression models were used to examine biographical and neuropsychological predictors of response to phonological and semantic treatment across all participants. Last, chi-square tests were used to explore the association between treatment response and phonological and semantic deficit profiles. Semantically focussed treatment was found to be more effective at the group-level, independently of treatment order (P = 0.041). Overall, milder speech and language impairment predicted good response to semantic treatment (r range: 0.256-0.373) across neuropsychological tasks. The Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Spontaneous Speech score emerged as the strongest predictor of semantic treatment response (R 2 = 0.188). Severity of stroke symptoms emerged as the strongest predictor of phonological treatment response (R 2 = 0.103). Participants who showed a good response to semantic treatment were more likely to present with fluent speech compared to poor responders (P = 0.005), whereas participants who showed a good response to phonological treatment were more likely to present with apraxia of speech (P = 0.020). These results suggest that semantic treatment may be more beneficial to the improvement of naming perfo

Although the naming disorders given much attention in clinical practice, the researchers still search for effective approaches to the treatment and understanding nature of word-finding deficits in the aphasics. This paper presents the results of the phonological and semantic strategies on the capabilities of the naming in patients with Broca's and in patients Wernicke's aphasia. The results showed that phonological strategy contributes to the increasing capabilities in patients with Broca's aphasia, while in the patients with Wernicke's aphasia, the semantic strategy have a greater effect than phonological strategy. ., Iako se poremećaju imenovanja poklanja dosta pažnje u kliničkoj praksi, još uvek se traga za efikasnim pristupima u tretmanu. U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati efekta fonološke i semantičke podrške na sposobnost imenovanja kod pacijenata sa Brokinom i Vernikeovom afazijom. Rezultati su pokazali da fonološka podrška doprinosi povećanju sposobnosti imenovanja kod Brokine afazije, dok je kod Vernikeove afazije utvrđen veći efekat semantičke nego fonološke podrške. .

Although the naming disorders given much attention in clinical practice, the researchers still search for effective approaches to the treatment and understanding nature of word-finding deficits in the aphasics. This paper presents the results of the phonological and semantic strategies on the capabilities of the naming in patients with Broca's and in patients Wernicke's aphasia. The results showed that phonological strategy contributes to the increasing capabilities in patients with Broca's aphasia, while in the patients with Wernicke's aphasia, the semantic strategy have a greater effect than phonological strategy. ., Iako se poremećaju imenovanja poklanja dosta pažnje u kliničkoj praksi, još uvek se traga za efikasnim pristupima u tretmanu. U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati efekta fonološke i semantičke podrške na sposobnost imenovanja kod pacijenata sa Brokinom i Vernikeovom afazijom. Rezultati su pokazali da fonološka podrška doprinosi povećanju sposobnosti imenovanja kod Brokine afazije, dok je kod Vernikeove afazije utvrđen veći efekat semantičke nego fonološke podrške. .