STROKE : rehabilitation helps to get out of aphasia

alexraths/epictura

Published the 29.09.2017 at 14h58

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AVCrééducationorthophonie

When the word refuses to release it. Among the people who have survived a cerebral vascular accident (STROKE), one-third suffers from aphasia. Without losing the ability to understand the language, these patients have difficulty putting words to express their thoughts or understand those of others. In order to help to recover this critical function, the care of speech and language are fully supported in the phase of rehabilitation.

If the link between STROKE and aphasia is so common, it is because of the damage to the brain observed in many patients. This is due to a hemorrhage or ischemia, the incident causes damage to certain areas. When they are involved in the practice of the language or its understanding, the consequences can be severe. Depending on the severity of the STROKE, patients may find themselves mute, or voice unintelligible words.

Patience

But the ability to speak is not lost. It is just damaged. However, ” the brain is plastic. It is able to reorganize itself to recover functions “, said Dr Pierre Decavel, neurologist to the university hospital of Besançon (Doubs). Where the interest of working on the functions that have been preserved.

The STROKE rehabilitation is above all a matter of patience. Several months to several years are necessary before a patient finds the correct level of language. In the best case, it can expect to recover 80 % of its level prior to the STROKE. Mireille Kerlan, speech-language pathologist at Vesoul (Haute-Saône), refers to ” little progress being made day-to-day “.

To accompany these (see report, above), Elizabeth Dutrieux has chosen to take the lead. Wife of a STROKE victim, she founded an association that offers singing sessions. An add-in that, it hopes, will help her husband to find the word.
In a register comparable, the association France AVC offers workshops and conferences to facilitate the rehabilitation of patients and to facilitate the task of caregivers.