Search

Background: Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) is a verb-centred aphasia treatment that targets the semantic relationships between a verb (e.g., dig) and related content words (e.g., gardener, hole), aiming to promote word retrieval and sentence production in aphasia. Previous research shows promising results of VNeST in several participants. Aims: This study investigates the effects of VNeST through telerehabilitation on word retrieval and sentence production with treated and semantically related untreated verbs, as well as the possible generalisation to confrontation naming and connected speech. Further, functional communication, communicative participation, health-related quality of life and client satisfaction are explored. Methods and Procedures: A single-case experimental design study with multiple baselines was conducted with two participants with stroke-induced mild-to-moderate Broca's aphasia or moderate-to-severe Wernicke's aphasia who received VNeST through telerehabilitation. Percentage of non-overlapping data, Baseline Corrected Tau and d-index effect size were used to measure improvement in word retrieval and sentence production elicited through video-clip stimuli. The study is registered with ClinicTrials.gov, number NCT05152979. Outcomes and Results: The participant with Wernicke's aphasia improved in word retrieval in sentences with trained and untrained verbs and showed some – albeit limited – generalisation to confrontation naming of nouns and verbs. The participant with Broca's aphasia withdrew after half of the planned dosage, as he did not consider VNeST suitable for his needs. He did not improve in word retrieval or sentence production. Conclusions: VNeST shows promise when it comes to improving word retrieval in trained and semantically related untrained stimuli in moderate-to-severe Wernicke's aphasia. This study adds to the existing literature by showing potential improvement in VNeST through telerehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore quantitative and qualitative features of anomia in participants with left-hemisphere stroke, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis. This descriptive cross-sectional study compares signs of anomia within and across participants (n = 87), divided into four groups; moderate to severe anomia after stroke (MSAS, n = 19), mild anomia after stroke (MAS, n = 22), PD (n = 19) and MS (n = 27). Aspects analysed include naming accuracy and speed, the nature of incorrect responses, semantic and phonemic verbal fluency, information content in re-telling, and the relationship between test results and self-reports on word-finding difficulties and communicative participation. All groups had impaired verbal fluency, prolonged response times and reduced information content in re-telling. The MSAS group had significantly more signs of anomia than the other groups. Results from the other groups overlapped on a MAS—PD—MS continuum. Both semantically and phonologically incorrect responses were common in the stroke groups, while semantically incorrect ones predominated in the PD and MS groups. All four groups reported a similar negative impact on self-perceived communicative participation. Correlations between self-reports and test results were inconsistent. Anomia features have quantitative and qualitative similarities and differences across neurological conditions. People with moderate or severe anomia after stroke not only exhibit more severe symptoms of word-finding difficulties but also manifest a wide variety of such symptoms, compared to people with Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis. The present findings underscore the need to ask patients about their self-perceived word-finding difficulties. Regardless of the degree of difficulties or the underlying condition, self-perceived word-finding difficulties can have a negative impact on communicative participation and should therefore be appropriately addressed. An assessment comprising aspects such as verbal fluency, connected-speech tasks and the measurement of response times in naming tasks may serve to affirm the self-reported word-finding difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-grade glioma (LGG) is a type of brain tumour often situated in or near areas involved in language, sensory or motor functions. Depending on localization and tumour characteristics, language or cognitive impairments due to tumour growth and/or surgical resection are obvious risks. One task that may be at risk is writing, both because it requires intact language and memory function and because it is a very complex and cognitively demanding task. The most commonly reported language deficit in LGG patients is oral lexical-retrieval difficulties, and poor lexical retrieval would be expected to affect writing fluency. Aims: To explore whether writing fluency is affected in LGG patients before and after surgery and whether it is related to performance on tasks of oral lexical retrieval. Methods & Procedures: Twenty consecutive patients with presumed LGG wrote a narrative and performed a copy task before undergoing surgery and at 3-month follow-up using keystroke-logging software. The same tasks were performed by a reference group (N = 31). The patients were also tested using the Boston Naming Test (BNT) and word-fluency tests before and after surgery. Writing fluency was compared between the patients and the reference group, and between the patients before and after surgery. Relationships between performance on tests of oral lexical retrieval and writing fluency were investigated both before and after surgery. Outcome & Results: Different aspects of writing fluency were affected in the LGG patients both before and after surgery. However, when controlling for the effect of typing speed, the LGG group differed significantly from the reference group only in the proportion of pauses within words. After surgery, a significant decline was seen in production rate and typing speed in the narrative task, and a significant increase was seen in pauses before words. Strong positive relationships were found between oral lexical retrieval and writing fluency both before and after surgery. Conclusions & Implications: Although aspects of writing fluency were affected both before and after surgery, the results indicate that typing speed is an important factor behind the pre-surgery differences. However, the decline in overall productivity and the increase in pauses before words after surgery could be related to a lexical deficit. This is supported by the finding that oral lexical-retrieval scores were strongly correlated with writing fluency. However, further exploration is needed to identify the language and cognitive abilities affecting writing processes in LGG patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly includes anomia and other communicative deficits that affect communicative participation and quality of life. Anomia treatment in MS is currently unexplored. Owing to the degenerative nature of MS, compensatory treatment might be preferable to restorative treatment. Semantic feature analysis (SFA) has been reported to have a treatment effect in aphasia and traumatic brain injury, and it can also be used as a compensatory word-finding strategy. SFA might therefore be effective on anomia in MS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effects of SFA on mild anomia in MS. Hypotheses were that, if used as a strategy, SFA may improve word-retrieval ability in connected speech, reduce self-perceived word-finding difficulties and increase communicative participation. Two participants (one with relapsing-remitting MS, one with progressive MS) experiencing anomia and reduced communicative participation took part in this early-phase study with a single-case experimental design (SCED). Outcome measures included accuracy and speed in confrontation naming of treated items, correct information units (CIUs) in a re-telling task, self-reported strategy use in everyday communication, self-reported occurrence of anomia and related nuisance, and self-reported communicative participation. Measurements were carried out before treatment, at the beginning of every third treatment session, once directly after treatment, repeatedly during a maintenance phase, and once at a follow-up session ten weeks after treatment. No treatment effects on confrontation-naming ability, re-telling ability or self-reported measures were evident in either participant after treatment with SFA. Effects of repeated measures appeared as reduced response time in confrontation naming. SFA as the sole element of treatment may not be sufficient to obtain treatment effects on mild anomia in MS. Further research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]