Gestural Facilitation in Treatment of Apraxia of Speech

Abstract

Purpose: Luria (1970) proposed the use of intersystemic reorganization to use an intact system to facilitate improvements in a damaged cognitive system. In this article, we review literature examining the effects of gesture as a modality to promote reorganization to improve verbal production in apraxia of speech and anomia. Methods: A gestural facilitation training paradigm is described and results of a recent systematic review of apraxia of speech treatment are reviewed. The interplay between apraxia of speech and anomia are considered in response to gestural facilitation training. Results & Conclusions: Gestural facilitation effects are strongest in individuals with moderate apraxia of speech. Several factors appear to mitigate the effects of gestural facilitation for verbal production, including severe apraxia of speech and semantic anomia. Severe limb apraxia, which often accompanies severe apraxia of speech, appears to be amenable to gestural treatment, providing improvements in gesture use for communication when verbal production gains are not evident.