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<p>Despite the growing evidence regarding the importance of intensity and dose in aphasia therapy, few well-controlled studies contrasting the effects of intensive and non-intensive treatment have been conducted to date. Phonological components analysis (PCA) treatment for anomia has been associated with improvements in some patients with chronic aphasia; however, the effect of treatment intensity has not yet been studied with PCA. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify the effect of intensity on neural processing associated with word retrieval abilities after PCA treatment. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine therapy-induced changes in activation during an overt naming task in two patients who suffered from a stroke in the left middle cerebral artery territory. P1 received intensive PCA treatment whereas P2 received the standard, non-intensive, PCA treatment. Behavioral results indicate that both standard and intensive conditions yielded improved naming performance with treated nouns, but the changes were only significant for the patient who received the intensive treatment. The improvements were found to be long lasting as both patients maintained improved naming at 2-months follow-ups. The associated neuroimaging data indicate that the two treatment conditions were associated with different neural activation changes. The patient who received the standard PCA showed significant increase in activation with treatment in the right anterior cingulate, as well as extensive areas in bilateral posterior and lateral cortices. By contrast, the patient who received intensive PCA showed more decreases in activation following the treatment. Unexpectedly, this patient showed subcortical increase in activation, specifically in the right caudate nucleus. We speculate that the recruitment of the caudate nucleus and the anterior cingulate in these patients reflects the need to suppress errors to improve naming. Thus, both short-term intensive and standard, non-intensive, PCA treatment can improve word retrieval in chronic aphasia, but neuroimaging data suggest that improved naming is associated with different neural activation patterns in the two treatment conditions.</p

Cinderella story retell task in Canadian French (Brisebois et al., 2023)

Purpose: Main concept (MC) analysis is a well-documented method of discourse analysis in adults with and without brain injury. This study aims to develop a MC checklist that is culturally and linguistically adapted for Canadian French speakers and examine its reliability. We also documented microstructural properties and provide a normative reference in persons not brain injured (PNBIs).Method: Discourse samples from 43 PNBIs were collected. All participants completed the Cinderella story retell task twice. Manual transcription was performed for all samples. The 34 MCs for the Cinderella story retell task were adapted into Canadian French and used to score all transcripts. In addition, microstructural variables were extracted using Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN). Intraclass correlation coefficients were computed to assess interrater reliability for MC codes and microstructural variables. Test–retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlations, Spearman’s rho correlations, and the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Bland–Altman plots were used to examine the agreement of the discourse measures between the two sessions.Results: The MC checklist for the Cinderella story retell task adapted for Canadian French speakers is provided. Good-to-excellent interrater reliability was obtained for most MC codes; however, reliability ranged from poor to excellent for the “inaccurate and incomplete” code. Microstructural variables demonstrated excellent interrater reliability. Test–retest reliability ranged from poor to excellent for all variables, with the majority falling between moderate and excellent. Bland–Altman plots illustrated the limits of agreement between test and retest.Conclusions: This study provides the MC checklist for clinicians and researchers working with Canadian French speakers when assessing discourse with the Cinderella story retell task. It also addresses the gap in available psychometric data regarding test–retest reliability in PNBIs.Supplemental Material S1. Best Practice Guidelines for Reporting Spoken Discourse in Aphasia and Neurogenic Communication Disorders.Supplemental Material S2. CLAN commands used to extract discourse variables in the transcripts and summary of interrater reliability results.Supplemental Material S3. MC scoring template.Supplemental Material S4. Canadian French adaptation of the Main concepts for the Cinderella retell task.Brisebois, A., Brambati, S. M., Jutras, C., Rochon, E., Leonard, C., Zumbansen, A., Anglade, C., & Marcotte, K. (2023). Adaptation and reliability of the Cinderella story retell task in Canadian French persons without brain injury. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-23-00101</p