title: [Potential analysis of research on speech therapy-led communication training in aphasia following stroke].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Germany, about 100,000 people currently suffer from aphasia. This speech disorder occurs as a result of neurologic events such as stroke or traumatic brain injury. Aphasia causes major limitations in social participation and quality of life and can be associated with unemployability and social isolation. For affected persons, it is essential to regain and maintain autonomy in daily life, both at work and with family and friends. The loss of autonomy is perceived much more dramatically than the loss of speech. Clients wish to minimise this loss of autonomy in daily life. As full recovery is not achievable in chronic aphasia, treatment must focus on improved compensatory approaches and on supporting the clients' coping strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on eight randomised comparisons including 347 participants, a recent Cochrane review (Brady et al., 2012) revealed that speech therapy - as compared with no treatment - had positive effects on functional communication in clients suffering from aphasia (0.30 SMD; 95% CI[0.08 to 0.52]). There was no evidence suggesting that one type of training was superior to the others. However, quality of life and social participation were not evaluated as outcomes. Recent studies found that speech therapy-led training for communication and self-efficacy and the integration of communication partners may have a positive impact on these client-centred outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Speech therapy-led training for communication within a group setting should be manualised and pilot-tested with respect to feasibility and acceptance in a German sample of people with aphasia and their communication partners. Instruments measuring quality of life and social participation can be validated within the scope of this feasibility study. These research efforts are necessary to prepare a large-scale comparative effectiveness research trial comparing the effects of both usual speech therapy and speech therapy-led group communication training on quality of life and social participation.
authors.affiliation: Hochschule Fresenius Idstein, Fachbereich Gesundheit & Soziales, Studiengang Logopädie B.Sc.. Electronic address: sabrina.kempf@hs-fresenius.de.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kempf
authors.affiliation: Hochschule Fresenius Idstein, Fachbereich Gesundheit & Soziales, Studiengang Logopädie B.Sc.
authors.forename: Norina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lauer
authors.affiliation: Katholische Hochschule Mainz, Fachbereich Gesundheit & Pflege.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corsten
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Cochrane Zentrum, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voigt-Radloff
mesh_terms: D001037:Aphasia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003142:Communication; D003145:Communication Methods, Total; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013070:Speech Therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
keywords: Aphasie; Lebensqualität, Partizipation, Logopädie, Sprachtherapie; Potential analysis; Potenzialanalyse; aphasia; participation; quality of life; speech therapy