Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Activation During Unscripted Discourse in People With Poststroke Aphasia.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of employing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task that captured activation associated with overt, unscripted (or free) discourse of people with aphasia (PWA), using a continuous scan paradigm.

Method: Seven participants (six females, ages 48-70 years) with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent two fMRI scanning sessions that included a discourse fMRI paradigm that consisted of five 1-min picture description tasks, using personally relevant photographs, interspersed with two 30-s control periods where participants looked at a fixation cross. Audio during the continuous fMRI scan was collected and marked with speaking times and coded for correct information units.

The Feasibility and Benefits of a Virtual Yoga Practice for Stroke Survivors With Aphasia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the feasibility of a virtual, adapted, aphasia-friendly yoga program for people with aphasia; (b) evaluate evidence of improvement in patient-reported outcomes and word retrieval; (c) explore the immediate impact of a yoga session on participant subjective emotional state; and (d) assess participant motivation and perceived benefits of participating in a yoga program.

Method: This feasibility study employed a mixed-method design to document the feasibility of a virtual, 8-week adapted yoga program. A pre-/posttreatment design was used to assess patient-reported outcome measures for resilience, stress, sleep, and pain, as well as word-finding abilities.

Lessons for the AAC field: a tribute to Dr. David Beukelman.

On February 5, 2022, the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lost a giant when Dr. David "Dave" Beukelman passed away. As the readership of this journal is aware, Dave was one of the principal founders of the AAC field and devoted his career to providing a voice to those without one.

Applying Implementation Science to Support Active Collaboration in Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface Development and Translation for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to consider how, alongside engineering advancements, noninvasive brain-computer interface (BCI) for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC; BCI-AAC) developments can leverage implementation science to increase the clinical impact of this technology. We offer the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a structure to help guide future BCI-AAC research. Specifically, we discuss CFIR primary domains that include intervention characteristics, the outer and inner settings, the individuals involved in the intervention, and the process of implementation, alongside pertinent subdomains including adaptability, cost, patient needs and recourses, implementation climate, other personal attributes, and the process of engaging.

Finding "Zen" in Aphasia: The Benefits of Yoga as Described by Key Stakeholders.

Purpose: Recently, the literature has witnessed a surging interest regarding the use of mind-body approaches with people who have aphasia, generating a plethora of possible outcome measures. During this same time, a core outcome set for aphasia has been recommended. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to give our survivor, co-survivor, and clinician stakeholder coauthors a platform to share their personal narrative regarding their yoga journey, with the goal of identifying primary outcome domains central to capturing the impact of yoga on the recovery process for people with poststroke aphasia.

Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) for Treatment of Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia: Results of a Pilot Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Research indicates intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is a potential treatment of post-stroke aphasia. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this double-blind, sham-controlled trial (NCT01512264) participants were randomized to receive 3 weeks of sham (G₀), 1 week of iTBS/2 weeks of sham (G₁), 2 weeks of iTBS/1 week of sham (G₂), or 3 weeks of iTBS (G₃). FMRI localized residual language function in the left hemisphere; iTBS was applied to the maximum fMRI activation in the residual language cortex in the left frontal lobe.

Assessing abstract thought and its relation to language with a new nonverbal paradigm: Evidence from aphasia.

In recent years, language has been shown to play a number of important cognitive roles over and above the communication of thoughts. One hypothesis gaining support is that language facilitates thought about abstract categories, such as democracy or prediction. To test this proposal, a novel set of semantic memory task trials, designed for assessing abstract thought non-linguistically, were normed for levels of abstractness.

A scoping review of PhotoVoice for people with post-stroke aphasia.

Background: PhotoVoice is a qualitative research methodology designed to engage and empower marginalized members of a community and/or to understand community needs. PhotoVoice seems aphasia-friendly because it relies on personal photographs to convey opinions regarding prespecified topics. However, PhotoVoice is based on a procedure referred to as the SHOWeD method.

Revisiting the Role of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Aphasia Rehabilitation.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to revisit the role of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation. The authors' intent is to provide a viewpoint that expands the use of AAC in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation. Specifically, we seek to clarify the role of AAC in restorative and participation approaches to aphasia rehabilitation while also considering the role of AAC in a comprehensive treatment plan.

Intensive Auditory Comprehension Treatment for Severe Aphasia: A Feasibility Study.

Background: Severe auditory comprehension impairments secondary to aphasia can adversely influence rehabilitative outcomes and quality of life. Studies examining intensive rehabilitative treatments for severe single-word auditory comprehension impairments are needed.

Objectives: Our purpose was to examine the feasibility and influence of a high-intensity word-picture verification treatment on high-frequency, word response accuracy.

The feasibility of improving discourse in people with aphasia through AAC: Clinical and functional MRI correlates.

Aims: The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to examine the feasibility of providing high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) treatment to people with chronic aphasia, with the goal of evoking changes in spoken language; and (2) to identify evidence of AAC-induced changes in brain activation.

Method & Procedures: We employed a pre- post-treatment design with a control (usual care) group to observe the impact of an AAC treatment on aphasia severity and spoken discourse. Further, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine associated neural reorganization.

Metacognitive deficits in categorization tasks in a population with impaired inner speech.

This study examines the relation of language use to a person's ability to perform categorization tasks and to assess their own abilities in those categorization tasks. A silent rhyming task was used to confirm that a group of people with post-stroke aphasia (PWA) had corresponding covert language production (or "inner speech") impairments. The performance of the PWA was then compared to that of age- and education-matched healthy controls on three kinds of categorization tasks and on metacognitive self-assessments of their performance on those tasks.

Neuroimaging Correlates of Post-Stroke Aphasia Rehabilitation in a Pilot Randomized Trial of Constraint-Induced Aphasia Therapy.

BACKGROUND Recovery from post-stroke aphasia is a long and complex process with an uncertain outcome. Various interventions have been proposed to augment the recovery, including constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT). CIAT has been applied to patients suffering from post-stroke aphasia in several unblinded studies to show mild-to-moderate linguistic gains.

Assessment With Children Who Need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Clinical Decisions of AAC Specialists.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specialists approach the assessment process for 2 case studies, 1 child with cerebral palsy and 1 with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of the study was to answer the following questions: (a) How do clinicians with expertise approach the AAC assessment process for children with developmental disabilities? (b) Can any initial hypothesis be drawn about how SLPs approach the assessment of children with motor versus social interactive deficits?

Method: This study used a phenomenological qualitative design. The researchers conducted 2 in-depth, semistructured interviews with 8 SLPs who specialized in AAC and self-identified as primarily working with children.

The canonical semantic network supports residual language function in chronic post-stroke aphasia.

Current theories of language recovery after stroke are limited by a reliance on small studies. Here, we aimed to test predictions of current theory and resolve inconsistencies regarding right hemispheric contributions to long-term recovery. We first defined the canonical semantic network in 43 healthy controls.

The Calculation of Language Lateralization Indices in Post-stroke Aphasia: A Comparison of a Standard and a Lesion-Adjusted Formula.

The language lateralization index (LI) is a valuable tool in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research, especially in people with post-stroke aphasia. However, there is inconsistent consideration for the overlap of lesions with regions of interest (ROIs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether standard LI (SLI) and lesion-adjusted LI (LALI) formulae generate different LI values and language lateralization classification for people with post-stroke chronic aphasia.

Constraint-Induced Aphasia Therapy for Treatment of Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Randomized, Blinded, Controlled Pilot Trial.

Background: To provide a preliminary estimate of efficacy of constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) when compared to no-intervention in patients with chronic (>1 year) post-stroke aphasia in order to plan an appropriately powered randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Material And Methods: We conducted a pilot single-blinded RCT. 24 patients were randomized: 14 to CIAT and 10 to no-intervention.

Using Visual Scene Displays as Communication Support Options for People with Chronic, Severe Aphasia: A Summary of AAC Research and Future Research Directions.

Research about the effectiveness of communicative supports and advances in photographic technology has prompted changes in the way speech-language pathologists design and implement interventions for people with aphasia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of photographic images as a basis for developing communication supports for people with chronic aphasia secondary to sudden-onset events due to cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). Topics include the evolution of AAC-based supports as they relate to people with aphasia, the development and key features of visual scene displays (VSDs), and future directions concerning the incorporation of photographs into communication supports for people with chronic and severe aphasia.

Inner speech deficits in people with aphasia.

Despite the ubiquity of inner speech in our mental lives, methods for objectively assessing inner speech capacities remain underdeveloped. The most common means of assessing inner speech is to present participants with tasks requiring them to silently judge whether two words rhyme. We developed a version of this task to assess the inner speech of a population of patients with aphasia and corresponding language production deficits.

The impact of interface design during an initial high-technology AAC experience: a collective case study of people with aphasia.

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe the communication behaviors of five people with chronic aphasia when they retold personal narratives to an unfamiliar communication partner using four variants of a visual scene display (VSD) interface. The results revealed that spoken language comprised roughly 70% of expressive modality units; variable patterns of use for other modalities emerged. Although inconsistent across participants, several people with aphasia experienced no trouble sources during the retells using VSDs with personally relevant photographs and text boxes.

Supporting narrative retells for people with aphasia using augmentative and alternative communication: photographs or line drawings? Text or no text?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how the interface design of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device influences the communication behaviors of people with aphasia during a narrative retell task.

Method: A case-series design was used. Four narratives were created on an AAC device with combinations of personally relevant (PR) photographs, line drawings (LDs), and text for each participant.

Personnel roles in the AAC assessment process.

Completing an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment is a complex process that involves many stakeholders and professionals. To help clarify professional roles and provide assessment guidelines, an AAC Assessment Personnel Framework was developed. This framework was adapted from the work of Beukelman, Ball, and Fager in 2008, which focused on general AAC needs (not just assessment) and concentrated specifically on adults.

AAC assessment and clinical-decision making: the impact of experience.

People with complex communication needs often require a comprehensive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment to maximize participation in daily interactions. Assessment of AAC is a complex process and limited practice guidelines exist. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how 25 speech-language pathologists with varying levels of experience approach the AAC assessment process.

Reading and writing with aphasia in the 21st century: technological applications of supported reading comprehension and written expression.

Purpose: People with aphasia struggle to keep up with today's text-based communication, because of their reduced ability to comprehend and compose written messages. Therefore, the communication gap between people with aphasia and the communities around them continues to grow. The purpose of this article is to highlight the literature regarding supported reading comprehension and written expression techniques for people with aphasia and to discuss the role of these interventions in the context of Web-based communication and information sharing.

Impact of personal relevance and contextualization on word-picture matching by people with aphasia.

Purpose: To determine the effect of personal relevance and contextualization of images on the preferences and word-picture matching accuracy of people with severe aphasia.

Method: Eight adults with aphasia performed 2 experimental tasks to reveal their preferences and accuracy during word-picture matching. The researchers used 3 types of visual stimuli-personally relevant, contextualized photographs; non-personally relevant, contextualized photographs; and noncontextualized, iconic images-paired with 3 types of target words-labels of people or objects, actions, and socially relevant events-as the stimulus materials.