Language Therapy in Aphasia

Abstract

     The aim of language therapy in aphasia is to assist the patient to regain his independence in their daily life as much as possible. This aim is achieved by utilizing the following four functions of language therapy :
    (1) reconstruction of once-disturbed neurolinguistic functions, (2) development and practice of compensatory methods of communication, (3) counseling of the patient's family, and (4) promoting the patient's acceptance of his disorder by experiencing the process of language therapy itself.
    In the present paper, language therapy for aphasia practised in Izu Nirayama Rehabilitation Hospital during the past five years is briefly reported and discussed, with special reference to reconstruction of neurolinguistic functions.
    In order to reconstruct disturbed neurolinguistic functions, the stimulation method proposed by Schuell, et al (1964) has been adopted in our hospital. Stimuli and responses may be verbal or nonverbal. The stimulation method is considered to be effective for language recovery as long as either stimulus or response is verbal, and a positive response is drawn from patients.
    The stimuli are categorized into two types, (1) the therapy stimuli, which are controlled and provided by therapists, and (2) the environmental stimuli, which are not controlled. It is supposedly effective to offer patients not only efficient therapy stimuli, but also abundant oppotunities to respond to environmental stimuli.
    Importance of stimulation from multi-modalities, especially from the intact modalities, is emphasized. For example, in the therapy for disturbance in writing kanas, a meaning is artificially attached to each kana, so that the kanji processor, which is neurolinguistically different from the kana processor can be utilized. Importance of utilizing the contextual information, which is a function of the whole brain at large, is also mentioned.
    In order to activate general brain functions, activities such as playing games before or along with language therapy are important.
    Finally the statistical data on aphasic patients, speech therapists, and so forth in our hospital from 1974 to 1979 are presented.