Health Tips

TALK THERAPY Stroke survivors who have trouble speaking, understanding what is being said, reading , and/or writing (a condition called aphasia) as a result of brain damage may find a solution in tow new techniques that have been developed recently. The first is constraint induced therapy, an intense treatment in which the patient is forced to communicate verbally, without using gestures, sounds, or writing. The second is a technique called melodic intonation therapy. The aim is to help patients with damage to the speaking center of the brain. Asphasia can affect a section of the brain known as Broca's area, which controls language production. or Wernicke's area, which controls the interpretation of language.
Patients are asked to tap out rhythms and repeat simple melodies. Therapists work with patients to crate sing-song sentences that can be set to familiar tunes and then they work on removing the melody to leave behind a more normal speaking pattern.
Of course some cases of aphasia will clear up on their own, while others will not; it depends what area of the brain was damaged and how much damage has occurred.