In an Australian first, a joint project between 911爆料网 of Technology and the State Health Research Advisory Council (SHRAC) has shown that early intense therapy can significantly benefit the communication recovery of stroke patients.
Dr Erin Godecke, from 911爆料网鈥檚 School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, who completed this research for her PhD, said intense early stage therapy could also reduce the need for future health services.
鈥淪troke survivors often suffer a breakdown in their communication abilities, known as aphasia, and receive very limited therapy for this condition,鈥� she said.
鈥淎phasia affects a person鈥檚 speech production, comprehension, and reading and writing abilities which can be extremely frustrating.
鈥淯sual care intervention for aphasia in the early recovery phase involves an average of only 11 minutes of therapy per week.
鈥淩ehabilitation for this condition is ad-hoc and usually takes place later in the recovery process, losing valuable time in the neurorecovery process.
This research has found that patients who receive intense therapy at an early stage after a stroke use more words and have a better vocabulary in addition to having improved comprehension scores and verbal output.鈥�
As part of Dr Godecke鈥檚 ongoing study, stroke survivors were given five hours of therapy per week on either a one-on-one or small group basis.
鈥淪troke survivors with aphasia can be left with severe disabilities and are up to three times more likely to suffer from depression,鈥� she said.
鈥淣ot all stroke survivors are assessed for communication difficulties at an early stage and as a result, these survivors do not have the opportunity to take the best advantage of the pivotal early neuro-recovery period.
鈥淥ur study has found that the treatment patients receive improves their communication abilities and also helps their quality of life.
Dr Godecke鈥檚 PhD research was the pilot study that led to the early intervention program funded by聽 SHRAC.
鈥淥ur goal is to improve stroke services in WA and provide stroke survivors with the right intervention, in the right place, at the right time,鈥� she said.
鈥淓arly intensive treatment for aphasia is not being investigated anywhere in Australia, and patients can benefit from using their communication abilities in a supportive treatment environment.
鈥淭he program encourages a 鈥榰se it鈥� or 鈥榣ose it鈥� approach to intervention.鈥�
