title: Verbal communication disorders in brain damaged post-stroke patients in Benin.
abstract: In Western countries, progress has lessened the severity of numerous sequels of verbal communication disorders (VCD). For Africa and more particularly Benin, few data on the subject are presently available.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the occurrence and development of post-stroke VCD in Benin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, descriptive and analytical study focused on 563 post-stroke patients treated in rehabilitation department of the National university hospital of Cotonou (CNHU) from January 2006 through December 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VCD prevalence was 42.10%. Average age was 57.17 ± 12.62 years, sex ratio was 1.75, and 74.69% were right-handed. VCD affected oral expression (95.78%), written expression (2.11%), oral comprehension (13.08%) and written comprehension or reading (0.84%). Type of stroke, sex and age had no impact on VCD occurrence following stroke. Only 5.91% of the patients underwent speech therapy. Progression was favorable in 21.09% of the cases studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Benin, post-stroke VCD is exceedingly common and occasions major social difficulties. Prevalence of VCD in a predominantly oral culture underscores the need for speech therapists to develop a more broadly ecological approach toward treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of re-education and functional rehabilitation, CNHU Cotonou, 04 BP 808, Cotonou, Benin; Unit of physical and rehabilitation medicine, faculty of health sciences, Cotonou, Benin. Electronic address: kpadonou_toussaint@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Kpadonou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alagnidé
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niama-Natta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Houngbédji
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adjaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013070:Speech Therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: AVC; Benin; Bénin; Rééducation orthophonique; Speech therapy; Stroke; Troubles de la communication verbale; Verbal communication disorder