Trends in General Medicine
Open AccessPromoting Aphasic Communication Effectiveness: The Interactive Role of Age and Gender in Therapeutic Outcomes
Authors: Helen Oluwaseun Oderemi, Adenike Elizabeth Akanni, Ayo Osisanya, Teresa Onyema, Nneka Angela Olisaemeka.
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of Aphasic Communication Effectiveness (ACE) and Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) on communication skills among individuals with aphasia, considering age and gender as moderating variables. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design with a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial matrix was adopted. Fifteen participants diagnosed with post-stroke aphasia were purposively and randomly selected from tertiary and private speech clinics. The sample comprised six males (40.0%) and nine females (60.0%) aged between 55 and 85 years (M = 68.2, SD = 6.4). Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: ACE, MIT, and control, with five participants in each. Two validated instruments, the Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test (MAST) and the Communication Skills Rating Scale (CSRT) were administered as pretest and posttest measures. Treatments were conducted for twelve weeks, twice per week, with each session lasting forty-five minutes. Data was analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 significance level. Results indicated a significant main effect of treatment on communication performance, while age and gender showed no significant moderating effects. Participants exposed to ACE and MIT recorded higher posttest scores than those in the control group. The findings demonstrate that both therapies effectively enhance expressive and receptive communication, supporting neuroplastic and compensatory adaptation mechanisms in aphasia rehabilitation.
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