Quality of communication and quality of life of people with aphasia and dysarthria after stroke

Abstract

Introduction. Aphasia and dysarthria are permanent consequences of stroke in many patients. These disorders significantly disrupt the person?s functioning in everyday life. The aim of this paper is to examine the quality of communication and quality of life in patients with aphasia and dysarthria. Material and Methods. The clinical group included 25 patients with aphasia and 20 patients with dysarthria due to stroke. The control group included 15 post-stroke people without speech and language disorders and 15 neurologically healthy subjects. The Quality of Communication Life Scale was used to assess the quality of communication. This scale provides information about the impact of speech and language disorders on individuals? ability to communicate and quality of life in general. The scale consists of 18 items scored from 1 to 5. Results. Patients with aphasia and dysarthria have a significantly lower quality of communication compared to stroke survivors with preserved speech and language functions and neurologically healthy subjects. The severity of the language and speech disorder proved to be a significant factor in determining the quality of communication. Namely, patients with more severe forms of aphasia and dysarthria scored significantly lower on the Quality of Communication Life Scale compared to the patients with milder forms. It was also shown that patients with flaccid dysarthria have the worst quality of communication compared to the patients with other types of dysarthria. Conclusion. Aphasia and dysarthria following a stroke significantly impair the quality of communication and quality of life of the affected persons.