The Effect of Melodic Intonation Therapy in Apraxia of Speech in Adults with Broca's Aphasia

Book excerpt: Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) is a structured aphasia treatment program that uses the musical elements of language to improve expressive language and language production in individuals with Broca's aphasia. Aphasia is a neurogenic disorder caused by damage to the regions of the brain responsible for language, typically the left half of the brain. It is usually seen in individuals who have experienced strokes. Apraxia of speech (AOS), which often co-occurs with Broca's aphasia, is a speech disorder in which an individual has difficulty producing correct and consistent speech. This study aimed to evaluate MIT's effectiveness in improving speech intelligibility in individuals with AOS. Due to AOS being a key characteristic in Broca's aphasia, MIT may be considered a vital treatment technique for individuals with AOS. Two participants with post-stroke aphasia underwent one-hour treatment sessions for 20 days, in a multiple baseline single-subject design. The PI assessed increases in word length, hesitancy (difficulty initiating utterances), articulatory precision, and the number of syllables correctly produced after each session. Results showed that MIT improved articulatory precision, syllable production, and word length. No significant change was measured with hesitancy. Results suggest that MIT could be effective for improving speech intelligibility in individuals with AOS.