2007/10/01 by A. M. O. Bakheit, Steve Shaw, Suzanne Carrington +1 · 3 citations
Neuroscience · Medicine · #Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism #Neurological Disorders and Treatments #Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
paper · doi:10.1177/0269215507078452
openalex publication_date 2007/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
OBJECTIVE: To examine the rate and extent of improvement from the different types of aphasia in the first year after stroke. DESIGN: A prospective longitudinal study. SETTING: A specialist stroke unit. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-five aphasic patients with first-ever stroke. INTERVENTION: The type of aphasia was classified according to the criteria of the Western Aphasia Battery. The Western Aphasia Battery aphasia quotient was used to measure the initial severity and the rate and extent of improvement from aphasia. Assessments were made at baseline and 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks later. RESULTS: The median percentage increase in the Western Aphasia Battery aphasia quotient was statistically higher in patients with Broca's aphasia than in the other groups at all weeks. Patients with Wernicke's aphasia had a significantly greater median percentage increase in their aphasia quotient than those with conduction and anomic aphasia at weeks 12 and 24, but less than patients with global aphasia at week 24. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Broca's aphasia appear to have the best prognosis for improvement of language function in the first year of stroke. The extent of improvement in patients with global aphasia is better than that of patients with Wernicke's aphasia.