The therapeutic effect of melodic intonation therapy on Broca′s aphasia after stroke

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of melody intonation therapy on the language function of Chinese-speaking stroke survivors with Broca′s aphasia. Methods Forty patients with Broca′s aphasia after stroke were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, each of 20. The treatment group received melodic intonation training, while the control group received routine speech rehabilitation training including training of the vocal organs, oral expression, literal expression and listening comprehension 30 minutes a day, five days a week for 12 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the spontaneous speech, listening comprehension, retelling and naming of both groups were tested using the western aphasia battery. Results After the intervention, a significant increase was observed in the average aphasia quotient, speech, listening comprehension, retelling and naming scores of both groups. The average spontaneous speech, listening comprehension and naming scores and the aphasia quotient of the treatment group were then significantly better than those of the control group. Conclusion Melody intonation training and rhythm training can improve the speech and daily communication ability of stroke survivors effectively. Key words: Aphasia; Melody intonation therapy; Speech therapy; Intonation; Rhythm