REHABILITATION OF CONFRONTATION NAMING IN APHASIA - RELATIONS BETWEEN ORAL AND WRITTEN MODALITIES

This study presents a microcomputer-assisted rehabilitation programme for picture confrontation naming impairments. The results reported concern two aphasic patients with inverse pretherapeutic dependencies between oral and written naming mechanisms. The surface dysgraphic's written naming responses were often mediated by access to phonological word forms, whereas the conduction aphasic's oral responses often relied on covert finding of orthographic word forms. The rehabilitation technique focused exclusively on written naming from the keyboard, without oral training. Improvements were obtained in both cases, with various generalizations to non-drilled items, untrained (oral) modality and handwriting. These beneficial effects were still present 1 year post-therapy. Microcomputer-delivered cues thus seem to be a promising technique for the rehabilitation of oral and written naming difficulties in some aphasic patients.