Influence of type of aphasia and type of treatment on aphasic patients' pragmatic performance

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Abstract
We investigated change in aphasic patients' pragmatic abilities in conversation between 4 and 48 weeks post-onset. Ten patients were fluent, and 10 were non-fluent. All patients received 6–8 h of treatment each week for 44 weeks. However, 10 patients received group treatment with no direct manipulation of language impairment, and 10 patients received individual, stimulus—response treatment for language deficits. Mean conversational pragmatic ability for the 20 patients was 85% appropriate at 4 weeks post-onset. Mean performance after 44 weeks of treatment was 92% appropriate. There were no significant differences in pragmatic abilities between fluent and non-fluent patients, and overall improvement in pragmatic abilities was not influenced by the type of treatment, group or individual. However, group-treated patients showed significant change in pragmatic abilities during the first 11 weeks of treatment, whereas individually treated patients did not.