title: Communication activity in stroke patients with aphasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study communication disability in stroke patients with aphasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, multicentric cohort study of patients with aphasia, consecutively included after a first stroke, and examined 1 year later at home. Assessment included a stroke severity scale, the Barthel Index, the boston diagnostic aphasia examination, a communication questionnaire, and the aphasia depression rating scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 164 patients were included. Among the 100 survivors assessed at follow-up, 24% had severe aphasia, 12% moderate aphasia and 64% mild aphasia according to the Boston diagnostic aphasia examination severity score. Patients mainly reported difficulties in conversation with strangers and/or on abstract topics, using a phone, reading and writing administrative documents, dealing with money and outdoor communication activities. Communication was strongly related to aphasia severity. Age, gender, education level, residence status and type of stroke had no influence on communication activity. On multivariate analysis, severity of stroke and severity of aphasia on inclusion were found to account for 58% of variance and were independent predictors of the communication questionnaire score at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Documenting the most impaired communication skills may help to set priority goals for speech and language therapy in aphasia.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Bordeaux and Research group EA 4136 Handicap and Nervous System, France. jean-michel.mazaux@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mazaux
authors.forename: Tiphaine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lagadec
authors.forename: Mathieu Panchoa
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: de Sèze
authors.forename: Drissa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zongo
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Asselineau
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Douce
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trias
authors.forename: Marie-France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Delair
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Darrigrand
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*