Improvement of spontaneous language in stroke patients with chronic aphasia treated with music therapy: a randomized controlled trial. (3rd March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Raglio, Alfredo; Oasi, Osmano; Gianotti, Marta; Rossi, Agnese; Goulene, Karine; Stramba-Badiale, Marco
• Is Part Of: International journal of neuroscience. Volume 126:Number 3(2016:Mar.)
• Page Start: 235
• Page End: 242
• Publication Date: 2016-03-03
• Subjects: music therapy -- speech language therapy -- aphasia -- stroke -- rehabilitation; Nervous system -- Periodicals; 612.805
• DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2015.1010647
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7454

Abstract

Abstract : Aim of the study : The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of active music therapy (MT) based on free-improvisation (relational approach) in addition to speech language therapy (SLT) compared with SLT alone (communicative-pragmatic approach: Promoting Aphasic's Communicative Effectiveness) in stroke patients with chronic aphasia. Materials and methods : The experimental group ( n = 10) was randomized to 30 MT individual sessions over 15 weeks in addition to 30 SLT individual sessions while the control group ( n = 10) was randomized to only 30 SLT sessions during the same period. Psychological and speech language assessment were made before (T0) and after (T1) the treatments. Results : The study shows a significant improvement in spontaneous speech in the experimental group (Aachener Aphasie subtest: p = 0.020; Cohen's d = 0.35); the 50% of the experimental group showed also an improvement in vitality scores of Short Form Health Survey (chi-square test = 4.114; p = 0.043). Conclusions : The current trial highlights the possibility that the combined use of MT and SLT can lead to a better result in the rehabilitation of patients with aphasia than SLT alone.