BIRMINGHAM, Alabama. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- During a stroke, blood flow to the brain is cut off, and the damage that occurs has been known to affect a person’s movement and speech. In the past, therapists believed that most patients’ language skills would improve only in the first few months or the first year after stroke. But researchers have been finding that a special kind of therapy is producing results for patients, even years later.
Dionna Zupparo always loved competition, until at age 14, when tragedy struck.
“In swimming sectionals, actually, got out and…massive stroke,” Zupparo told Ivanhoe.
The stroke impaired her movement and left her almost unable to speak.
“It was one word at a time, and a very limited vocabulary,” explained Dr. Edward Taub, Psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Edward Taub has been the leader in the field of constraint-induced, or CI therapy, after stroke or brain injury.
With CI therapy, patients have been forced to repeatedly use an impaired limb, and not the stronger, non-injured side of the body. Then therapists have asked patients to make consistent, small improvements.
“Many different parts of the brain contribute to given functions, and parts of the brain can take over,” Professor Taub explained.
With language problems, or aphasia, Professor Taub said CI therapy has also worked. Patients have been forced to communicate by speaking only. They have not been permitted to point, use gestures or write.
Dionna, at age 18, has been accepted to college and just went to senior prom.
“Just push through it and keep getting better,” she said. And while Dionna has not been competing, she has been back in the swim of things again.
Professor Taub said many patients have experienced a 400 percent improvement in their skills over a year. Professor Taub also said if patients continued to transfer what they’ve learned in a clinical setting into real life, their skills should continue to improve.
BACKGROUND: According to The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about one million people suffer from aphasia in the United States. Aphasia is a communication disorder that is the result of damage to the part of the brain that is responsible for language, typically caused by a stroke. Aphasia may cause difficulty speaking, listening, reading and writing but does not affect intelligence. Sixty percent of patients have trouble understanding speech or speaking right after a stroke and 25 to 30 percent have continued trouble. Although aphasia is usually caused by stroke, any disease or damage to the parts of the brain that control language can cause this disorder. Brain tumors, a traumatic brain injury, and progressive neurological disorders can all be causes of aphasia. (Source, Edward Taub, PhD)
TREATMENT: There are many different ways to treat aphasia. Many of the treatments depend on the needs and goals of the patient. Many treatment options involve a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who uses activities to help improve specific language skills affected by damage to the brain. Dionna Zupparo suffered a massive stroke when she was 14 years old that left her unable to communicate and paralyzed her right side. Dionna has been able to make great improvements thanks to treatment but her family is about $30,000 in debt due to the cost of her treatment. She would like to return to the UAB Taub clinic to continue treatment and her family is trying to get her the help she needs. To help Dionna, you can donate by clicking here. (Source)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: CI therapy, or constraint induced therapy is a new therapeutic approach to rehabilitation after stroke, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury. This therapy teaches the brain to “rewire” itself following a brain injury. CI therapy allows patients to learn to improve the movement of the weaker parts of their bodies. Edward Taub, PhD, Psychologist at University of Alabama at Birmingham told Ivanhoe, “What we have found is CI therapy produces a very substantial and profuse change in the grey matter in the brain.” Professor Taub says that there can be a 400 percent improvement over a year’s time. CI therapy is the only rehabilitation technique shown to markedly change the organization of activity in the brain and remodel brain structures. “We know that it’s associated with the person being able to make movements that they hadn’t been able to make before,” said Professor Taub. (Source, Edward Taub, PhD) MORE.
