Therapy of aphasia.

Abstract

Impairment of language function (aphasia) is one of the most common neurological symptoms. It affects approximately a third of all stroke patients and may also be caused by other neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and brain tumors. Anecdotal observations suggest that spontaneous improvement of language function is common, but usually it is neither universal nor complete. Consequently, therapy interventions that minimize the impact of aphasia on patients and their families are required, and treatment is often needed for long periods of time. Although the mainstay of the rehabilitation of aphasia remains speech and language therapy (which has many aspects), adjunctive drug treatment has also been proposed. In this article, the assessment and treatment of aphasia is reviewed and the rationale for using dopaminergic and other drugs in conjunction with speech and language therapy in the treatment of this disorder is discussed. (copyright) 2006 Future Medicine Ltd.