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A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

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greater impairment <strong>in</strong> activities <strong>of</strong> daily liv<strong>in</strong>g than with depression alone with the<br />

period <strong>of</strong> depression be<strong>in</strong>g significantly longer and more severe (Shimoda and<br />

Rob<strong>in</strong>son, 1998).<br />

Cognitive processes are complex and <strong>in</strong>terrelated but their <strong>in</strong>teractive<br />

relationships (for example, between attention, memory and executive function)<br />

are not clearly def<strong>in</strong>ed (Purdy, 2002). These processes are considered to be<br />

factors that impact upon the rehabilitation process <strong>of</strong> aphasia. The acquisition <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>formation/ knowledge requires active participation to promote and facilitate<br />

cortical plasticity. If a person is unable to attend to the rehabilitation stimuli be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

presented they will fail to adequately process the <strong>in</strong>formation. As aphasia<br />

therapy <strong>in</strong>volves the acquisition <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation, methods and skills (similar to the<br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g process), memory processes must be <strong>in</strong>tact to reta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation or<br />

strategies learned (Helm-Estabrooks, 2002). Additionally, the presentation <strong>of</strong><br />

post-stroke depression alongside aphasia further impacts upon a person’s<br />

cognitive ability and consequently their ability to participate <strong>in</strong> and benefit from<br />

aphasia rehabilitation. Kimura et al. (2000) suggest that the treatment <strong>of</strong> poststroke<br />

depression may be one <strong>of</strong> the most significant methods <strong>of</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g<br />

cognitive recovery.<br />

2.6.4 Rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> language impairments<br />

2.6.4.1 Intensity and tim<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> language rehabilitation<br />

The efficacy <strong>of</strong> language therapy <strong>in</strong>tervention has already been discussed (see<br />

section 2.4.1), however the results from some studies have observed an<br />

association between <strong>in</strong>tensive therapy and improved aphasia outcomes (Bhogal,<br />

Teasell and Speechley, 2003). Poeck et al.’s (1989) f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>dicated that<br />

language recovery progressed as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensive therapy even <strong>in</strong> the<br />

chronic phases <strong>of</strong> recovery. Additionally, Roby’s (1998) meta-analysis reports<br />

that people receiv<strong>in</strong>g high <strong>in</strong>tensity aphasia rehabilitation recover twice as great<br />

as those not receiv<strong>in</strong>g any therapeutic <strong>in</strong>put. Conversely, where only low<br />

43

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