title: Improved language in chronic aphasia after self-delivered iPad speech therapy.
abstract: Self-delivered speech therapy provides an opportunity for individualised dosage as a complement to the speech-therapy regime in the long-term rehabilitation pathway. Few apps for speech therapy have been subject to clinical trials, especially on a self-delivered platform. In a crossover design study, the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT) and Cookie Theft Picture Description (CTPD) were used to measure untrained improvement in a group of chronic expressive aphasic patients after using a speech therapy app. A pilot study (n = 3) and crossover design (n = 7) comparing the therapy app with a non-language mind-game were conducted. Patients self-selected their training on the app, with a recommended use of 20 minutes per day. There was significant post-therapy improvement on the CAT and CTPD but no significant improvement after the mind-game intervention, suggesting there were language-specific effects following use of the therapy app. Improvements on the CTPD, a functional measurement of speech, suggest that a therapy app can produce practical, important changes in speech. The improvements post-therapy were not due to type of language category trained or amount of training on the app, but an inverse relationship with severity at baseline and post-therapy improvement was shown. This study suggests that self-delivered therapy via an app is beneficial for chronic expressive aphasia.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , England.
authors.forename: Brielle C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7001-8324
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , England.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Warburton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001039:Aphasia, Broca / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063731:Mobile Applications; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Aphasia; chronic; ipad; rehabilitation; stroke; therapy