Naming vs. non-naming treatment in aphasia in a group setting–A randomized controlled trial
Joana Kristensson, Charlotta Saldert, Per Östberg, Signe Rödseth Smith, Sabina Åke, Francesca Longoni
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Anomia affects numerous persons with aphasia. Treatment effects of anomia group therapy have been reported, but the evidence is not comprehensive. This study aimed to explore treatment effects of a naming treatment compared with a non-naming treatment delivered in a group setting. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, 17 participants with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent group therapy, 2 hours a session, 3 times per week, for a total of 20 hours. The treatment given in the naming group was modified semantic feature analysis (SFA). Treatment content in the non-naming group comprised auditory comprehension, copying text, and reading. The primary outcome measure was accuracy in confrontation naming of participant-selected trained nouns and verbs. Generalization effects were evaluated in single-word naming, connected speech, and everyday communication. RESULTS: Participants in both groups significantly improved their naming of trained items. There were no differences between the groups. The treatment effect did not remain at follow-up 10 weeks after therapy. No other statistically significant changes occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Group intervention can improve naming ability in individuals with chronic aphasia. However, similar treatment effects can be achieved using a non-naming treatment as using a naming treatment, such as modified SFA. Further research is warranted to identify the most important elements of anomia group therapy.