Cognition in global aphasia: Indicators for therapy

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Abstract
In clinical practice we are frequently confronted with global aphasics who show communicative urge, whose mobility is such that they meet other people to communicate with, and who are motivated for language therapy. The regular methods for the assessment of language deficits are unsuited for these patients: the tasks are too complex; the instructions are too difficult and their performances show an invariable zero profile. Additionally, these methods do not throw any light on the associated neuropsychological deficits of memory, attention, visual and auditory non-verbal recognition, which are known to influence success with language-oriented treatment. We present the Global Aphasic Neuropsychological Battery (GANBA), which enables the clinician to assess attention and concentration, memory, intelligence, visual and auditory recognition and language comprehension for severely impaired aphasic patients. The results of 17 global aphasics are presented. The gravity of the associated cognitive disturbances seems an important parameter for the choice of treatment. Three treatment regimes, based on the level of cognitive performances, are presented