Aphasia Treatment – Finding Effective Solutions for the Problem of Language Disability

There are quite a number of treatment methods available in managing aphasia disorder that basically characterizes difficulties in expressing as well as in understanding language. This impairment is generally caused by brain damage due to head injury, stroke, tumor, or infection.

Aphasia Treatment – Fundamental Approaches Used to Manage the Language Disorder

Speech and language therapy or SLT is the primary aphasia treatment that can be employed for patients suffering from the disorder. This treatment method generally aims to help the person in relearning the lost or damaged communication skills as well as in making the best use of his or her remaining communication abilities. Aside from that, SLT also aids in finding new ways of effective communication. Another recognized aphasia treatment is the trans-cranial stimulation, which is a kind of painless treatment that may either use electrodes or magnetic coils so that the language center parts of the brain that has been impaired can be recovered. Aside from that, medication can be a great means in improving the language skills of the aphasia patient. Some of these drugs include bromocriptine and donepezil.

Aphasia Therapy – Most Common Techniques of Speech and Language Therapy

Promoting Aphasics’ Communicative Effectiveness or PACE is a very effective SLT aphasia therapy that employs conversation in order to improve the communication skills of the patient. Here, the therapist usually shows a picture or any illustration so that conversation can be stimulated by encouraging the person to use any communicative response. Another excellent therapy is the Melodic Intonation Therapy or MIT, which is commonly used in treating the non-fluent types of aphasia by increasing the total number of words that the patient can recall. This can be achieved by encouraging the patient to hum or sing certain words or phrases that he or she finds hard to remember. The other techniques that can be incorporated are the Computerized Script Training or CST, and Constraint-induced Aphasia Therapy or CIAT.

Aphasia Test – A Brief Overview of the Screening and Diagnostic Method

An aphasia test generally measures the language ability amount that has been lost during the wake of certain traumatic injury to the brain. Initial assessment techniques usually employ responses to some simple questions, recognition of certain items, as well as the ability to follow uncomplicated instructions. Aside from that, a follow-up testing may also be conducted by administering a battery of exams so that the type, severity, and extent of the aphasia symptoms can be determined. Moreover, knowing that different types of such language disorder manifest uniquely according to the location of the brain damage, the use of contemporary imaging technology may also be incorporated as another kind of aphasia test. This technique is basically designed to identify the brain injury location as predetermined by the varying symptoms revealed by the disorder.