IMR Press / JIN / Volume 21 / Issue 1 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2101008
Open Access Case Report
Post-stroke aphasia at the time of COVID-19 pandemic: a telerehabilitation perspective
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1 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
2 Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy
3 Ospedale Maggiore di Modica, ASP Ragusa, 97015 Modica, Italy
4 Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
5 Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgery Specialties, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
*Correspondence: glanza@oasi.en.it (Giuseppe Lanza)
These authors contributed equally.
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2022, 21(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2101008
Submitted: 6 February 2021 | Revised: 9 March 2021 | Accepted: 7 May 2021 | Published: 28 January 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

We report on our remote speech therapy experience in post-stroke aphasia. The aim was to test the feasibility and utility of telerehabilitation to support future randomized controlled trials. Post-stroke aphasia is a common and disabling speech disorder, which significantly affects patients’ and caregivers’ health and quality of life. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, most of the conventional speech therapy approaches had to stop or “switch” into telerehabilitation procedures to ensure the safety of patients and operators but, concomitantly, the best rehabilitation level possible. Here, we planned a 5-month telespeech therapy programme, twice per week, of a patient with non-fluent aphasia following an intracerebral haemorrhage. Overall, treatment adherence based on the operator’s assessments was high, and incomplete adherence for technical problems occurred very rarely. In line with the patient’s feedback, acceptability was also positive, since he was constantly motivated during the sessions and the exercises performed autonomously, as confirmed by the speech therapist and caregiver, respectively. Moreover, despite the sequelae from the cerebrovascular event, evident in some writing tests due to the motor deficits in his right arm and the disadvantages typical of all telepractices, more relevant results were achieved during the telerehabilitation period compared to those of the “face-to-face” therapy before the COVID-19 outbreak. The telespeech therapy performed can be considered successful and the patient was able to return to work. Concluding, we support it as a feasible approach offering patients and their families the opportunity to continue the speech and language rehabilitation pathway, even at the time of pandemic.

Keywords
Aphasia
Telerehabilitation
COVID-19 pandemic
Stroke
Speech therapy
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