The Western Aphasia Battery: a systematic review of research and clinical applications

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Since design and publication of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), increasing use to assess patients with aphasia in a clinical and research setting in stroke and in degenerative disease of the brain became evident. It has proven to be useful in determining the severity of and nature of the language impairment and providing clues for the location and function of the brain structures affected. Methods: Articles of WAB use were reviewed from the National Library of Medicine, Cochrane database under several headings of aphasia testing, stroke aphasia, primary progressive aphasia and others. Results: Available statistic indicated that the WAB is the most used comprehensive aphasia test. The overall severity score and quantitation of the components of the language impairment allows to define and classify aphasia, measure outcome in treatment modalities e.g., standard or constrained therapies, melodic intonation therapy, medications and transcranial stimulation and to study the linguistic features of aphasia and related cognition. Technological and scientific advances in neuroimaging from isotope scans to voxel-based morphometry, functional magnetic resonance and tractography uses the WAB for functional, anatomical and biological correlations of language. Conclusion: The acceptance of the WAB by researchers as well as clinicians appears to be related to the comprehensive measuring of essential and distinct language functions and practical length allowing it to be administered to a large variety of patients in diverse clinical and research conditions.