Outcome of Language-Based Intervention in Persons with Bilingual Wernicke’s Aphasia - A Case Study

Abstract

Wernickes aphasia is characterized by jargon utterances with impairment in auditory verbal comprehension, repetition and naming. The goal of the case study was a) highlight characteristic of wernicke’s aphasia over the period of therapy b) report the importance of periodic assessment in understanding recovery c) influence of L2 over L1 and overall quality of life. We report a case of 47 years old male, diagnosed as Wernickes aphasia as a result of cerebrovascular accident. The case underwent a language based treatment for 6 months and as a result of treatment case improved in communication overcoming with all the linguistic deficits. During the course of therapy, case recovered from wernickes aphasia to conduction aphasia to anomic aphasia equally in both languages. Later, influence of L2 (treated) to L1 (untreated) language noted when therapy was withdrawn in L1 language at the final stage of recovery. A progressive change in the overall quality of life after an intensive speech and language therapy has been documented. This study offers a speech language pathologist with information that motivation of the case and periodic assessment would help to note the progress and consequently plan therapy appropriately.