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www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
JCPSLP
Volume 19, Number 2 2017
101
Table 1. Search strategy
Database
Search terms
Number of papers
identified (new
papers)
speechBITE
Keywords – *phasia (to identify aphasia or dysphasia)
Speech pathology language area – aphasia
Type of intervention – computer-based intervention
44
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”)
162 (144 new)
Medline (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”)
52 (32 new)
PsycInfo (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”) to appear in (TI or AB)
125 (69 new)
Embase (Elsevier)
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)
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
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.
No significant differences in
outcomes between computer
and clinician-delivered therapy.
Improvement across all language
domains in computer therapy group.
Thompson et al.,
2010
III-1
(pseudo- RCT,
non-random
allocation)
Computer group:
N = 6
mean age 50.5
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
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.
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.
Loverso & Prescott,
1992
III-2,
Within subject
design
N = 21
age not specified
at least 6 months post CVA
14 fluent, 7 non-fluent
severity ranged from mild–
severe
Cueing verb treatment:
Targeted generation
of simple grammatical
sentences. Assistance by
clinician. Frequency not
specified.
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.