Comparison of formal language therapy with supportive counseling for aphasia due to acute vascular accident
J. Hartman and W. M. Landau
A total of 60 right-handed patients with acute aphasia due to left
hemispheral stroke were randomly assigned to two modes of therapy for six
months, beginning one month after the ictus. Conventional speech therapy
provided by professional speech pathologists twice weekly was compared with
emotionally supportive counseling therapy, also provided by professional
speech pathologists at the same intervals. Language function was tested
periodically by the Porch Index of Communicative Ability. Fifty of the
subjects were also tested at ten months after the ictus. There was no
difference in the amount of improvement between the two groups.
