AN INTENSIVE TREATMENT PROTOCOL FOR SEVERE CHRONIC AUDITORY COMPREHENSION DEFICITS IN APHASIA: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. As medical technology improves, more people are surviving stroke and living longer with stroke-related disabilities, including aphasia. Auditory comprehension deficits resulting from aphasia are associated with lower functional outcomes and higher treatment dropout rates. Previous research has indicated the effectiveness of treatment intensity which targets verbal expression abilities; however, the results of these studies cannot be transferred to auditory comprehension. The present study explored the feasibility of an intensive treatment protocol on single-word auditory comprehension abilities, the ability to self-detect breakdowns in auditory comprehension, and tolerance of an intensive treatment among three people with severe chronic aphasia resulting from a single, left hemisphere stroke. Results of the study reveal that an intensive protocol leads to increased single-word auditory comprehension in some people with severe chronic aphasia; however, not all people are candidates for this type of treatment