title: Speech and language therapy for dysarthria due to nonprogressive brain damage: a systematic Cochrane review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dysarthria is a common sequel of nonprogressive brain damage (typically stroke and traumatic brain damage). Impairment-based therapy and a wide variety of compensatory management strategies are undertaken by speech and language therapists with this patient population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of speech and language therapy interventions for adults with dysarthria following nonprogressive brain damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review has drawn on the search strategies developed for the following Cochrane Groups as a whole: Stroke, Injuries, and Infectious Diseases. Relevant trials were identified in the Specialised Registers of Controlled Trials. We also searched the trials register of the Cochrane Rehabilitation and Related Therapies Field. The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycLIT, and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts were electronically searched. Hand-searching of the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders and of reference lists from relevant articles and conference proceedings was also undertaken. Colleagues were approached to identify other possible published and unpublished studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unconfounded randomized controlled trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  One reviewer assessed trial quality. Two co-reviewers were available to examine any potential trials for possible inclusion in the review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No trials of the required standard were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no evidence of the quality required by this review to support or refute the effectiveness of speech and language therapy interventions for dysarthria following nonprogressive brain damage. There is an urgent need for good quality research in this area.
authors.affiliation: STEP Project and Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, UK. Cameron.Sellars@northglasgow.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sellars
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langhorne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007808:Language Therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013070:Speech Therapy