Treatment intensity in acquired apraxia of speech (Wambaugh et al., 2018)

Purpose: This investigation was designed to examine the effects of treatment intensity (i.e., dose frequency) on the outcomes of Sound Production Treatment (SPT) for acquired apraxia of speech.Method: Five men with chronic apraxia of speech and aphasia received both intense SPT (3 hr per day/3 days per week) and nonintense/traditional SPT (SPT-T; 1 hr per day/3 days per week) in the context of single-case experimental designs. Each treatment was applied separately to a designated set of experimental words with 1 treatment applied at a time. Twenty-seven treatment sessions were conducted with each phase of treatment. Accuracy of articulation of target sounds within treated and untreated experimental words was measured during the course of the investigation.Results: All participants demonstrated improved articulation with both treatment intensities. Better maintenance of gains for treated items was found with SPT-T for 2 participants as measured at an 8-week posttreatment retention probe. Superior maintenance of increased accuracy of production of untreated items was also observed with SPT-T for all participants.Conclusion: A less intense (distributed) application of SPT facilitated better maintenance of improved articulatory accuracy for untreated items, and in some cases treated items, than intense SPT.Supplemental Material S1. Examples of participants’ discourse: pretreatment samples (Nicholas & Brookshire, 1993). Supplemental Material S2. Probe and treatment stimuli. Supplemental Material S3. Sound Production Treatment (SPT) treatment log (minimal pair). Wambaugh, J. L., Wright, S., Boss, E., Mauszycki, S. C., DeLong, C., Hula, W., & Doyle, P. J. (2018). Effects of treatment intensity on outcomes in acquired apraxia of speech. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(1S), 306–322.

研究目的：本项研究旨在探讨治疗强度（即剂量频率）对获得性构音障碍言语产生治疗（SPT）效果的影响。研究方法：五名患有慢性构音障碍和失语症的男性接受了两种不同强度的SPT治疗：高强度SPT（每日3小时/每周3天）和低强度/传统SPT（SPT-T；每日1小时/每周3天），在单一案例实验设计中分别进行。每种治疗均针对一组指定的实验词汇进行，每次仅应用一种治疗。每个治疗阶段进行了27次治疗 session。在研究过程中，对治疗和未治疗实验词汇中目标声音的发音准确性进行了测量。研究结果：所有参与者均在使用两种治疗强度后显示出发音的改善。在治疗2周后的保持期测试中，对于2名参与者，SPT-T治疗在维持治疗物品的收益方面表现更好。所有参与者在未经治疗物品生产准确性的提高方面也观察到SPT-T的优越保持性。结论：与高强度SPT相比，低强度（分散式）的SPT治疗有助于更好地维持未经治疗物品，甚至在某些情况下治疗物品的发音准确性改善。补充材料S1：参与者话语示例（Nicholas & Brookshire，1993）。补充材料S2：测试和治疗刺激。补充材料S3：声音产生治疗（SPT）治疗记录（最小对立体）。Wambaugh, J. L.，Wright, S.，Boss, E.，Mauszycki, S. C.，DeLong, C.，Hula, W.，& Doyle, P. J.（2018）。治疗强度对获得性构音障碍言语效果的影响。美国言语-语言病理学杂志，27（1S），306–322。