According to the degree of danger to human life and health, cerebrovascular accidents can be put on a par with oncological diseases. In most cases, a stroke leads to disability. As you know, damage to brain cells negatively affects the quality of life of the patient, depriving him of control over his own body, including the ability to walk, talk, and perceive communication.
Cause of Speech Disorder
Sensomotor aphasia after a stroke is one of the most serious complications. Complete or partial loss of speech occurs with inhibition of certain brain functions, decreased activity of specific sections of the cortex. Sensomotor aphasia can also be the result of injuries, indicating the presence of benign or malignant tumors, encephalitis, meningitis. Unlike other speech disorders that occur during brain damage, this form is considered the most severe. The combination of symptoms of sensory and motor aphasia is a difficult to treat consequence of a stroke, since it is associated with the development of the pathological process in the hemisphere, which is responsible for speech and motor activity.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
Why does sensorimotor aphasia occur at all ? What is it? After a stroke, in some cases, the functionality of the lower frontal gyrus is impaired, providing the person with the ability to pronounce words. In parallel with the development of this pathology, a failure occurs in the cortical region of the brain, in particular the upper lobe of the temporal divisions of both hemispheres, which leads to a loss of the ability to understand the meaning of speech. The patient does not cease to hear himself and others, but he can no longer perceive words.
The second name of the disease is acoustic-gnostic aphasia. The progression of the disease leads to spontaneously appearing speech, which in the absence of treatment becomes more like inarticulate mooing. The degree of loss of ability to correctly speak and recognize what was said by others is determined by the severity of brain damage and the individual characteristics of a person. With total or gross sensorimotor aphasia, implying a violation of all speech functions, other symptoms may occur. The most common manifestations are:
- distraction;
- drowsiness;
- apathy to what is happening;
- inability to concentrate;
- partial paralysis of the muscles of the body.
What can hinder recovery?
The patient’s chances of recovery with sensorimotor aphasia depend on a number of factors, which include the general condition of the patient, the presence of concomitant diseases and the effectiveness of the rehabilitation therapy used. Indeed, it is much more difficult to regain the lost opportunity to speak and understand speech if the patient:
- repeated hemorrhage occurred;
- diagnosed with atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases;
- ischemic attacks often occur;
- progressive diabetes.
How to return speech after a stroke: treatment methods
At least in two directions they treat motor and sensory aphasia after a stroke. Speech therapy and conservative medicine are the main ways to restore speech function.
Together with medications and speech therapy exercises to activate the functions of the cerebral cortex in sensorimotor aphasia, you can prescribe:
- neurosurgical treatment (including in the presence of an abscess, intracranial hematoma),
- exercise therapy course;
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- massage;
- sessions of psychological impact.
Medications for stimulating cerebral circulation
So, perhaps we should start with drugs that are prescribed for patients with speech impairment. The course of medications usually consists of neurotrophic drugs, the action of which is aimed at normalizing metabolic processes in the brain and increasing blood circulation. With total aphasia, doctors prescribe:
- "Piracetam" is a nootropic drug used for speech and cognitive impairment. The duration of the course is determined by a neurologist and most often ranges from 2 to 6 months. The medicine is administered by injection, administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
- "Pyritinol" - activates cholinergic processes in the brain. After a stroke with aphasia, it is prescribed for 3-4 months.
- “Vazobral” is a combined drug whose active components stimulate the central nervous system. The duration of the course is an average of 2-3 months.
- Cerebrolysin is a nootropic generation drug that provides metabolism, neuroprotection, the functionality of neuromodulation and neurotrophic activity. The course of therapy can reach 12 months.
Speech Therapist Help: Exercises to Correct Speech Function
Speech therapy correction for sensorimotor aphasia is the same fundamental treatment method as the use of medications. To restore the patient's speech, various exercises are used to activate the activity of the right cerebral hemisphere. The following set of classes for training a stroke patient is aimed at restoring the mobility of the jaw, tongue, and lips in his memory. It is necessary to perform it together with the patient - he must repeat after the instructor.
To return speech with sensorimotor aphasia, it is necessary to train the
speech apparatus every day as follows:
- Fold your lips in a tube, stretch as much as possible and hold in this position for a few seconds, then relax. The exercises are repeated 10 times.
- The lower lip should be slightly grasped with teeth, as if trying to bite it, then release and relax. Do the same with the upper lip.
- Stick out your tongue as far as possible, tighten your neck and hold your breath for 3 seconds, then exhale. Repeat several times.
- Tongue licking lips, confidently leading them in a circle clockwise and in the opposite direction.
- At maximum tension of the tongue, try to turn it into a tube, and then touch its tip to the upper palate.
Melodious tunes for the return of speech
During exercises with sensorimotor aphasia, experts also focus on the treatment of melodic intonation. This technique is based on the activation of the functions of the legal cerebral hemisphere. To achieve the desired result will help singing or just your favorite music. If you often sing melodic motifs previously familiar to the patient, he will want to sing along to his instructor once, trying to pronounce the end of phrases or single words. The tongue twisters that speak with a patient who is already recovering also help. This method works effectively, contributing to the speedy restoration of speech.
Surgery for incurable aphasia
The surgical treatment of the consequences of a stroke involves direct intervention in the patient's cranial box for revascularization of the disturbed speech zone. Today, such an intervention is carried out through extra-intracranial craniotomy. Microanastomosis helps to improve blood circulation in the brain and optimize the state of nerve cells, returning them to normal functionality.
It is worth noting that this procedure is not prescribed immediately after the first manifestations of sensorimotor aphasia, since the operation is fraught with considerable risk and does not always give a positive result. Extra-intracranial microanastomosis is recommended if the use of conservative methods of speech restoration have been ineffective.
Physiotherapy for speech restoration
Physiotherapeutic procedures are useful for stimulating speech muscles. With aphasia, acupuncture, electrophoresis are prescribed. However, to date, physiotherapy after a stroke is not ubiquitous. With a local and shallow lesion of the cerebral cortex, the techniques really help to correct the articulation, but they are ineffective for restoring the perception of speech heard by the patient. The tactics of biofeedback do not have an exact confirmation of the effectiveness. Meanwhile, today this therapeutic tactic is used to visually control the restoration of the patient’s speech.
What is the probability of recovery?
The prognosis of sensorimotor aphasia after a stroke is relative, since it is impossible to say exactly how long it will take to rehabilitate the patient. As a rule, long hard work with specialists gives noticeable results after 6 months. Hoping for a spontaneous recovery is not worth it. On average, when conducting a versatile speech therapy correction, speech in patients is restored only after 2-3 years.
The prognosis for recovery also depends on the individual characteristics of the patient and his age. More often, older people are more difficult to cope with speech impairment, it is rarely possible to restore the previous ability to communicate with others in full. However, with significant lesions of the cerebral cortex, there is little chance of complete rehabilitation in people of a relatively young age. It is important to begin treatment as early as possible and to comply implicitly with all medical prescriptions. The success of a patient with sensorimotor aphasia for recovery is unlikely without the help of loved ones.
What to do if in a family a patient with aphasia
Relatives of a person who has had a stroke should be patient and prepare for a long difficult path of rehabilitation. It is not easy to return speech functions with sensorimotor aphasia, but it is impossible to give up prematurely. An exceptionally positive attitude of the patient, his determination and desire to work on himself will play an important role in recovery. First of all, the patient must be sure that it is not a burden for his environment, to feel the love of the closest and dearest people.
To return speech after a stroke, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of specialists, regularly perform speech therapy exercises. Yes, the rehabilitation process really requires considerable effort, but the main thing is not to despair! Even minimal shifts will be an incentive to continue treatment and recovery.