title: Improvement of spontaneous language in stroke patients with chronic aphasia treated with music therapy: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of active music therapy (MT) based on free-improvisation (relational approach) in addition to speech language therapy (SLT) compared with SLT alone (communicative-pragmatic approach: Promoting Aphasic's Communicative Effectiveness) in stroke patients with chronic aphasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental group (n = 10) was randomized to 30 MT individual sessions over 15 weeks in addition to 30 SLT individual sessions while the control group (n = 10) was randomized to only 30 SLT sessions during the same period. Psychological and speech language assessment were made before (T0) and after (T1) the treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study shows a significant improvement in spontaneous speech in the experimental group (Aachener Aphasie subtest: p = 0.020; Cohen's d = 0.35); the 50% of the experimental group showed also an improvement in vitality scores of Short Form Health Survey (chi-square test = 4.114; p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current trial highlights the possibility that the combined use of MT and SLT can lead to a better result in the rehabilitation of patients with aphasia than SLT alone.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine , University of Pavia , via Boezio, 24, Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raglio
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Catholic University of the Sacred Heart , Largo Gemelli, 1 , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Osmano
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oasi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine , IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , via Mosè Bianchi 90, Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gianotti
authors.affiliation: c Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine , IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , via Mosè Bianchi 90, Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine , IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , via Mosè Bianchi 90, Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goulene
authors.affiliation: c Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine , IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , via Mosè Bianchi 90, Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stramba-Badiale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: aphasia; music therapy; rehabilitation; speech language therapy; stroke