Intensive Communicative Therapy Reduces Symptoms of Depression in Chronic Nonfluent Aphasia.
Bettina Mohr, Benjamin Stahl, Marcelo L Berthier and 1 others
PMID 29192534WHAT IT FOUND
Language scores improved only after intensive language-action therapy, not after intensive naming therapy.
Depression scores also improved after language-action therapy, not naming therapy. The study analysed 17 patients with chronic nonfluent aphasia.
Key findings
01The primary language outcome, average Aachen Aphasia Test T-scores, improved significantly only after intensive language-action therapy.
02BDI depression scores decreased significantly after intensive language-action therapy in both intervals, while no significant improvement occurred after intensive naming therapy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The analysis included 17 patients, and the authors describe the sample as small. Patients had chronic nonfluent aphasia, so results may not apply to fluent aphasia or subacute or acute patients. Patients were recruited partly from self-help groups, and the average age was slightly less than the general stroke population, which may have introduced selection bias. Only the assessor was blinded to group assignment; patient and therapist blinding are not reported. The trial measured short-term changes and did not test long-term stability. Seven patients were taking antidepressant medication, although medication was not changed before or during the study. The primary outcome was language performance, while depression was a secondary outcome.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study received financial support from the German Research Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that intensive naming therapy improves depression in chronic nonfluent aphasia. BDI scores did not significantly improve after naming therapy, and the depression finding was secondary to the primary language outcome.