Awareness and knowledge about aphasia are very important as they lead to positive changes that have a particular impact on the quality of life of people with aphasia (PWA) and their families. So far, ...studies in numerous countries have shown that public awareness and knowledge about aphasia are low and differ in certain groups, e.g., by age, gender, occupation and level of education.
The aim of this study was to investigate awareness and knowledge of aphasia among the public in Croatia.
The modified Croatian version of the aphasia public awareness questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was completed by 300 adults. Participants were grouped according to gender, age, education level, and region of residence. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used for data analyses.
According to the results, 41% of the participants had heard of aphasia, and 22.7% had basic knowledge about aphasia. Significant differences were found in relation to gender and level of education: awareness was higher among women and participants with a high level of education. No significant differences were found in relation to age or region of residence. The internet and social media were most frequently indicated by participants as sources of information about aphasia.
It is evident that awareness and knowledge about aphasia in Croatia are limited. There is a need to raise awareness and educate the public about aphasia to effect positive changes, including the reintegration of PWA into the community and the provision of new services where PWA and their family members can refer to experts for counselling and therapy. To this end, international interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers is desirable.
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BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background: It has been suggested that public awareness of aphasia is vital for extending services, research support, social inclusion and targeted raising of awareness. Earlier studies show that ...knowledge of aphasia varies across a range of variables, but is very low compared with other conditions.
Aims: To report a series of surveys of public awareness of aphasia from six countries, the largest study conducted this far.
Methods & Procedures: Surveys were conducted in Argentina (N = 800), Canada (N = 831), Croatia (N = 400), Greece (N = 800), Norway (N = 251) and Slovenia (N = 400) using the same methodology requesting information on age, sex and occupation, asking whether respondents had heard of aphasia and where they had heard of it. Respondents were tested on their levels of knowledge of aphasia.
Outcomes & Results: Results revealed low levels of awareness of aphasia in countries surveyed with marked variability that appeared to interact with occupation, country, age and sex. We surveyed 3483 respondents (mean age = 43.16; SD = 17.68). Between 60% (Croatia) and 16% (Slovenia) said they had heard of aphasia (37.1% overall), but those with actual knowledge ranged from 13.9% (Norway) to 1.0% (Argentina). The combined mean of those with basic knowledge was 9.2%. Those who had heard of aphasia were younger; and females had higher levels of awareness. We also found associations between socio‐economic status and awareness. Those working in health, social and educational spheres had the highest levels. Respondents mainly heard about aphasia through the media and work or personal contact with aphasia.
Conclusions & Implications: Levels of awareness are low everywhere in absolute terms, and relative to the awareness of other conditions, with significant variability between countries, sex and socio‐economic status. We examine how surveys can be utilized to plan ways to increase understanding and discuss the comparison of awareness of aphasia with other conditions.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Communication abilities can be affected differently by traumatic brain injury because of differences in the types of impact and the types and severity of brain lesions. The present study used a ...Croatian version of the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (Porch, 1981) to assess verbal, gesticular and graphic communication abilities in persons with traumatic brain injuries (in 14 men and women aged 21-62 years). Assessments were performed three times at intervals of 3 months during rehabilitation at a specialized clinic in Krapinske Toplice. Data were analyzed using uni- and multivariate analyses. The Friedman nonparametric test was used to assess the significance of differences between small dependent samples. PROM software (Nikolić, 1997) was used to compare quantitative and qualitative changes between two time points within one sample. The results indicate that rehabilitation was more effective for gesticular abilities, less effective for verbal abilities, and least effective for graphic abilities, reflecting the presence of pareses and plegias of extremities. The results point to the importance of targeting certain communication abilities during early rehabilitation after brain injury.
Information and communication technology (ICT) is applied in the treatment of aphasia through computer programs and mobile applications which are developed in order to increase the intensity of ...therapy for people with aphasia and enable them to have greater independence during treatment and in everyday life. Previous studies have demonstrated the success of this type of therapy in the improvement of different language abilities (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics). The aim of this study was to monitor the therapy of people with aphasia and to compare the results from tasks of naming, reading, and comprehension by testing those abilities at the beginning and at the end of the speech and language intervention. The participants were two persons with aphasia, and the therapy was conducted using the computer programs Microsoft Word and Microsoft Offi ce PowerPoint 2007, as well as using applications developed through the project ‘ICT-AAC’: Komunikator, e-Galerija Senior and Glaskalica. The results of this study show improvement in all of the tested language abilities, except in tasks of auditory comprehension. Because of the small sample of participants, these results cannot be generalized, but they can serve as a starting point for further research on the use of ICT in aphasia therapy, as well as for the development of Croatian-language software, which provides people suffering from aphasia with a new model of treatment for language impairments.
Exploring the relationship between rhythm and speech is necessary for understanding and creating speech therapies for people with neurogenic communication, language and speech disorders, especially ...people with nonfluent aphasia. The aim of the present study, involving 10 subjects with aphasia and 10 average speakers, was to examine whether there are difficulties in musical rhythm perception and production in people with aphasia, to find out whether there are differences between musical rhythm perception and production within the same group of subjects and to determine whether there is a correlation between achievement on tasks of auditory comprehension and rhythm perception and production. The Protocol for Assessment of Rhythm Perception and Production in People with Aphasia, which consists of musical rhythm perception and production tasks, was created for the purpose of this study. A statistically significant difference was found between the achievement of people with aphasia and the control group on the applied tasks of rhythm perception and production. A correlation was not found between rhythm perception and production and achievement on tasks of auditory comprehension, among either people with aphasia or the control group. Analysis of the subjects’ answers revealed the features of the rhythmic patterns that make it easy or difficult to perceive and reproduce a rhythm.
Za razumijevanje i kreiranje logopedskih tretmana za osobe s neurogenim komunikacijskim, jezičnim i govornim poremećajima, poput onih namijenjenih osobama s afazijom netečnog tipa, potrebno je ...istraživati vezu izmed strok signu ritma i govora. Cilj opisanog istraživanja, u kojem je sudjelovalo 10 ispitanika s afazijom i 10 prosječnih govornika, bio je otkriti postoje li teškoće percepcije i produkcije glazbenog ritma kod osoba s afazijom, ispitati postoje li razlike izmed strok signu percepcije i produkcije glazbenog ritma kod iste skupine ispitanika te utvrditi postoji li povezanost izmed strok signu postignuća na zadacima auditivnog razumijevanja riječi i rečenica te sposobnosti percepcije i produkcije glazbenog ritma kod obiju skupina ispitanika. "Protokol za ispitivanje percepcije i produkcije ritma kod osoba s afazijom ", koji sadrži zadatke za percepciju i produkciju glazbenog ritma, kreiran je za potrebe ovog istraživanja. Statističkom analizom podataka utvrd strok signena je statistički značajna razlika izmed strok signu sposobnosti percepcije i produkcije glazbenog ritma kod osoba s afazijom. Usto potvrd strok signena je statistički značajna razlika izmed strok signu postignuća skupine osoba s afazijom i kontrolne skupine ispitanika. Ovim istraživanjem nije utvrd strok signena statistički značajna povezanost izmed strok signu postignuća na zadacima auditivnog razumijevanja riječi i rečenica i sposobnosti percepcije i produkcije glazbenog ritma kod obiju skupina ispitanika. Analizom odgovora ispiranika atkrivene su značajke ritamskih obrazaca koje ispitanici najbolje, odnosno najlošije paercipiraju i reproduciraju.
Optimizing speech and language therapy (SLT) regimens for maximal aphasia recovery is a clinical research priority. We examined associations between SLT intensity (hours/week), dosage (total hours), ...frequency (days/week), duration (weeks), delivery (face to face, computer supported, individual tailoring, and home practice), content, and language outcomes for people with aphasia.
Databases including MEDLINE and Embase were searched (inception to September 2015). Published, unpublished, and emerging trials including SLT and ≥10 individual participant data on aphasia, language outcomes, and time post-onset were selected. Patient-level data on stroke, language, SLT, and trial risk of bias were independently extracted. Outcome measurement scores were standardized. A statistical inferencing, one-stage, random effects, network meta-analysis approach filtered individual participant data into an optimal model examining SLT regimen for overall language, auditory comprehension, naming, and functional communication pre-post intervention gains, adjusting for a priori-defined covariates (age, sex, time poststroke, and baseline aphasia severity), reporting estimates of mean change scores (95% CI).
Data from 959 individual participant data (25 trials) were included. Greatest gains in overall language and comprehension were associated with >20 to 50 hours SLT dosage (18.37 10.58-26.16 Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient; 5.23 1.51-8.95 Aachen Aphasia Test-Token Test). Greatest clinical overall language, functional communication, and comprehension gains were associated with 2 to 4 and 9+ SLT hours/week. Greatest clinical gains were associated with frequent SLT for overall language, functional communication (3-5+ days/week), and comprehension (4-5 days/week). Evidence of comprehension gains was absent for SLT ≤20 hours, <3 hours/week, and ≤3 days/week. Mixed receptive-expressive therapy, functionally tailored, with prescribed home practice was associated with the greatest overall gains. Relative variance was <30%. Risk of trial bias was low to moderate; low for meta-biases.
Greatest language recovery was associated with frequent, functionally tailored, receptive-expressive SLT, with prescribed home practice at a greater intensity and duration than reports of usual clinical services internationally. These exploratory findings suggest critical therapeutic ranges, informing hypothesis-testing trials and tailoring of clinical services. Registration: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifier: CRD42018110947.
The factors associated with recovery of language domains after stroke remain uncertain. We described recovery of overall-language-ability, auditory comprehension, naming, and functional-communication ...across participants' age, sex, and aphasia chronicity in a large, multilingual, international aphasia dataset.
Individual participant data meta-analysis of systematically sourced aphasia datasets described overall-language ability using the Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia-Quotient; auditory comprehension by Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT) Token Test; naming by Boston Naming Test and functional-communication by AAT Spontaneous-Speech Communication subscale. Multivariable analyses regressed absolute score-changes from baseline across language domains onto covariates identified a priori in randomized controlled trials and all study types. Change-from-baseline scores were presented as estimates of means and 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was described using relative variance. Risk of bias was considered at dataset and meta-analysis level.
Assessments at baseline (median=43.6 weeks poststroke; interquartile range 4-165.1) and first-follow-up (median=10 weeks from baseline; interquartile range 3-26) were available for n=943 on overall-language ability, n=1056 on auditory comprehension, n=791 on naming and n=974 on functional-communication. Younger age (<55 years, +15.4 Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia-Quotient points CI, 10.0-20.9, +6.1 correct on AAT Token Test CI, 3.2-8.9; +9.3 Boston Naming Test points CI, 4.7-13.9; +0.8 AAT Spontaneous-Speech Communication subscale points CI, 0.5-1.0) and enrollment <1 month post-onset (+19.1 Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia-Quotient points CI, 13.9-24.4; +5.3 correct on AAT Token Test CI, 1.7-8.8; +11.1 Boston Naming Test points CI, 5.7-16.5; and +1.1 AAT Spontaneous-Speech Communication subscale point CI, 0.7-1.4) conferred the greatest absolute change-from-baseline across each language domain. Improvements in language scores from baseline diminished with increasing age and aphasia chronicity. Data exhibited no significant statistical heterogeneity. Risk-of-bias was low to moderate-low.
Earlier intervention for poststroke aphasia was crucial to maximize language recovery across a range of language domains, although recovery continued to be observed to a lesser extent beyond 6 months poststroke.
Komunikacijske su teškoće kod osoba s traumatskom ozljedom mozga različite, uzimajući u obzir rasprostranjenost ozljede, vrstu udaraca i težinu traumatskog oštećenja mozga. Cilj ovoga rada, i u tu ...svrhu provedenog istraživanja, bila je procjena komunikacijskih sposobnosti osoba s traumatskim oštećenjem mozga na verbalnom, gestovnom i grafičkom modalitetu primjenom Porch indeksa komunikacijskih sposobnosti (Porch Index of Communicative Ability, PICA, B. E. Porch, 1981) prevedenog i prilagođenog hrvatskom jeziku. Ispitivanje je provedeno na 14 ispitanika obaju spolova, u dobi od 21 do 62 godine, kroz tri vremenska razdoblja u razmaku od tri mjeseca, kako bi se pratio napredak ispitanika kroz ponovljena ispitivanja. Svi su ispitanici bili na liječenju i rehabilitaciji u Specijalnoj bolnici za medicinsku rehabilitaciju u Krapinskim Toplicama. Prikupljeni su podatci obrađeni univarijantno i multivarijntno. Korišten je Friedmanov neparametrijski test za testiranje značajnosti razlika aritmetičkih sredina malih zavisnih uzoraka. Za analizu sustava varijabli kvalitativnih i kvantitativnih promjena jednog uzorka u dvije vremenske točke korišten je program PROM (Nikolić, 1997). Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na najmanji stupanj oporavka u verbalnom modalitetu. Gestovni modalitet je značajno oštećen u početnim ispitivanjima, ali se pod utjecajem terapije brže oporavlja. Grafički modalitet opisuju najlošiji rezultati zbog pareza ili plegija ekstremiteta. Rezultati ukazuju i na važnost zastupljenosti određenog modaliteta u ranoj rehabilitaciji komunikacijskih poteškoća nakon ozljede mozga.
Communication abilities can be affected differently by traumatic brain injury because of differences in the types of impact and the types and severity of brain lesions. The present study used a Croatian version of the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (Porch, 1981) to assess verbal, gesticular and graphic communication abilities in persons with traumatic brain injuries (in 14 men and women aged 21-62 years). Assessments were performed three times at intervals of 3 months during rehabilitation at a specialized clinic in Krapinske Toplice. Data were analyzed using uni- and multivariate analyses. The Friedman nonparametric test was used to assess the significance of differences between small dependent samples. PROM software (Nikolić, 1997) was used to compare quantitative and qualitative changes between two time points within one sample. The results indicate that rehabilitation was more effective for gesticular abilities, less effective for verbal abilities, and least effective for graphic abilities, reflecting the presence of pareses and plegias of extremities. The results point to the importance of targeting certain communication abilities during early rehabilitation after brain injury.
Communication abilities can be affected differently by traumatic brain injury because of differences in the types of impact and the types and severity of brain lesions. The present study used a ...Croatian version of the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (Porch, 1981) to assess verbal, gesticular and graphic communication abilities in persons with traumatic brain injuries (in 14 men and women aged 21-62 years). Assessments were performed three times at intervals of 3 months during rehabilitation at a specialized clinic in Krapinske Toplice. Data were analyzed using uni- and multivariate analyses. The Friedman nonparametric test was used to assess the significance of differences between small dependent samples. PROM software (Nikolic, 1997) was used to compare quantitative and qualitative changes between two time points within one sample. The results indicate that rehabilitation was more effective for gesticular abilities, less effective for verbal abilities, and least effective for graphic abilities, reflecting the presence of pareses and plegias of extremities. The results point to the importance of targeting certain communication abilities during early rehabilitation after brain injury. Key words: traumatic brain injury, communications difficulties, Porch Index of Communiciative Abitlity. Sazetak: Komunikacijske su teskoce kod osoba s traumatskom ozljedom mozga razlicite, uzimajuci u obzir rasprostranjenost ozljede, vrstu udaraca i tezinu traumatskog ostecenja mozga. Cilj ovoga rada, i u tu svrhu provedenog istrazivanja, bila je procjena komunikacijskih sposobnosti osoba s traumatskim ostecenjem mozga na verbalnom, gestovnom i grafickom modalitetu primjenom Porch indeksa komunikacijskih sposobnosti (Porch Index of Communicative Ability, PICA, B. E. Porch, 1981) prevedenog i prilagodenog hrvatskom jeziku. Ispitivanje je provedeno na 14 ispitanika obaju spolova, u dobi od 21 do 62 godine, kroz tri vremenska razdoblja u razmaku od tri mjeseca, kako bi se pratio napredak ispitanika kroz ponovljena ispitivanja. Svi su ispitanici bili na lijecenju i rehabilitaciji u Specijalnoj bolnici za medicinsku rehabilitaciju u Krapinskim Toplicama. Prikupljeni su podatci obradeni univarijantno i multivarijntno. Koristen je Friedmanov neparametrijski test za testiranje znacajnosti razlika aritmetickih sredina malih zavisnih uzoraka. Za analizu sustava varijabli kvalitativnih i kvantitativnih promjena jednog uzorka u dvije vremenske tocke koristen je program PROM (Nikolic, 1997). Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na najmanji stupanj oporavka u verbalnom modalitetu. Cestovni modalitet je znacajno ostecen u pocetnim ispitivanjima, ali se pod utjecajem terapije brze oporavlja. Graficki modalitet opisuju najlosiji rezultati zbog pareza ili plegija ekstremiteta. Rezultati ukazuju i na vaznost zastupljenosti odredenog modaliteta u ranoj rehabilitaciji komunikacijskih poteskoca nakon ozljede mozga. Kljucne rijeci: traumatsko ostecenje mozga, komunikacijske teskoce, Porch indeks komunikacijskih sposobnosti.
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