Abstract
In order to examine long-term recovery processes of aphasia, we studied the continuous recovery process of aphasia in various lesion and age-of-onset subgroups. The examination was conducted on 132 right-handed aphasics with localized lesions in the left hemisphere, validated by CT scan or MRI study. Recovery processes of language impairment in each subgroup were examined and compared using the SLTA (Standard Language Test of Aphasia) 10-scale severity ratings.
Major findings were as follows :
1) Aphasics with localized lesions in the frontal lobe, putamen, or thalamus showed rapid recovery early after onset. 2) Many aphasics with posterior lesions, extensive lesions in the middle cerebral artery territory, or expanded lesions in the putaminal area showed continuous recovery for more than three years, although the final level of achievement varied in each case. 3) Since language impairment may recover over a long period of time, it is necessary to conduct sustained rehabilitation programs based on appropriate evaluations of prognosis. 4) Because numerous factors affect prognosis, it is imperative to avoid making indiscriminate decisions on the effects of rehabilitation merely on the basis of the period of time from onset.
