JCPSLP Vol 19 No 2 2017

Table 1. Search strategy

Database

Search terms

Number of papers identified (new papers)

44

speechBITE

Keywords – *phasia (to identify aphasia or dysphasia) Speech pathology language area – aphasia Type of intervention – computer-based intervention

CINAHL (Ebsco)

(aphasia or dysphasia or anomia) AND (computer* or microcomputer* or ipad or iphone or “smart phone” or “smart tablet” or software or “virtual technology” or “mobile app” or “mobile applications” or “digital health” or “e-health”) (aphasia or dysphasia or anomia) AND (computer* or microcomputer* or ipad or iphone or “smart phone” or “smart tablet” or software or “virtual technology” or “mobile app” or “mobile applications” or “digital health” or “e-health”) (aphasia or dysphasia or anomia) AND (computer* or microcomputer* or ipad or iphone or “smart phone” or “smart tablet” or software or “virtual technology” or “mobile app” or “mobile applications” or “digital health” or “e-health”) to appear in (TI or AB) aphasia:ab,ti OR dysphasia:ab,ti OR anomia:ab,ti AND (computer*:ti,ab OR microcomputer*:ab,ti OR ipad:ab,ti OR iphone:ab,ti OR “smart phone”:ab,ti OR “smart tablet”:ab,ti OR software:ab,ti OR “virtual technology”:ab,ti OR “mobile app”:ab,ti OR “mobile applications”:ab,ti OR “digital health”:ab,ti OR “e-health”:ab,ti)

162 (144 new)

Medline (Ebsco)

52 (32 new)

PsycInfo (Ebsco)

125 (69 new)

Embase (Elsevier)

21 (1 new)

Note: TI/ti stands for word must appear in Title, AB/ab means word must appear in abstract

Table 2. Studies investigating computer therapy versus clinician-delivered therapy Study NHMRC Level of evidence Participants Computer therapy intervention

Main findings

Cherney, 2010

II- RCT

Computer group: N = 11 mean age 56.6 mean post CVA = 66.7 months aphasia type = non-fluent, mean AQ = 62 Clinician-delivered: N = 14 mean age = 61.1 mean post CVA = 41.3 months aphasia type: non-fluent, mean AQ = 47.3 mean post CVA = 74.4 months aphasia type = non-fluent, 1 severe, 1 moderate, 4 mild Clinician-delivered: N = 8 mean age = 52.5 mean post CVA = 46.1 months aphasia type: non-fluent, 6 moderate, 2 mild N = 21 age not specified at least 6 months post CVA 14 fluent, 7 non-fluent severity ranged from mild– severe Computer group: N = 6 mean age 50.5

Oral reading for language in aphasia: Targeted reading comp, auditory comp, verbal expression and written expression. 1 hr, 1–4 x week for average 12 weeks. Research assistant available for set up and troubleshooting. Sentactics: Targeted production and comprehension of complex sentences. 4 1hr sessions week, max 20 sessions. Examiner present in room to set up and monitor participant’s verbal responses. Cueing verb treatment: Targeted generation of simple grammatical sentences. Assistance by clinician. Frequency not specified.

No significant differences in outcomes between computer and clinician-delivered therapy. Improvement across all language domains in computer therapy group.

No significant difference between clinician-delivered and computer therapy. Sentactics significantly improved all six aphasic speakers’ ability to comprehend and produce trained and untrained sentences.

Thompson et al., 2010

III-1 (pseudo- RCT, non-random allocation)

Loverso & Prescott, 1992

III-2, Within subject design

Observed improvements for both treatment types. Clinician-delivered therapy showed greater improvement than computer therapy and fewer sessions to reach criterion level for non-fluent and fluent aphasia and for participants above 50th percentile on PICA. No statistical analyses reported.

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JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 2 2017

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au