ANCDS Aphasia Practice Guidelines

Lexical Retrieval

Syntax

Speech Production/
Fluency

Reading

Writing

Alternative
Communication

Welcome to the ANCDS Aphasia Treatment Website!

This website includes composite tables of aphasia treatment studies reported in the literature.
The studies have been grouped according to the nature of the primary outcome variable (e.g., lexical retrieval). In other words, the studies are grouped by the dependent variable of interest in the study.

The tables include information regarding the study design, class and phase of treatment research, and the type of treatment. Note that this website is being updated frequently, so that ultimately all cells in the tables will be filled in.

Study Designs are coded as follows:

G b/t Between group design

G w/in Within group design

SS Single subject design

CS Case study (non experimental)

Class of Study coded in accordance with American Academy of Neurology guidelines (2001)

Class Stength Evidence provided by:

1 Strongest
One or more well designed randomized control trials, including meta-analyses of such trials

2 Intermediate Well designed observational studies with concurrent controls. Single subject multiple baseline studies across subjects.

3 Weakest Expert opinion, case studies, case reports, studies with historical controls. Single subject multiple baseline studies across behaviors.

Phase of treatment research is coded according to Robey and Schultz (1998)

Phase Type Goals

1 Pre-efficacy
to determine if there is evidence to suggest that a tx has therapeutic value

2 Pre-efficacy to develop, standardize, validate, and optimize procedures
to explain why treatment works; who are ideal candidates

3 Pre-efficacy tests tx efficacy under ideal conditions

4 Efficacy to determine effectiveness of treatment under ordinary conditions of use

5 Efficacy explore efficiency, cost-benefit, patient and family satisfaction, the influence of treatment on patients' quality of life