The relevance of patient individuality in the evaluation and treatment of aphasia: case report

Relevância da individualidade do paciente na avaliação e tratamento de afasia: relato do caso

The relevance of patient individuality in the evaluation and treatment of aphasia: case report

Relevância da individualidade do paciente na avaliação e tratamento de afasia: relato do caso

Renata R. Ferreira^{I, II}; César Timo-Iaria^II

^IDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas SP, Brazil

^IILaboratory of Experimental Neurology (LIM.45), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo SP, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The usual approach to language disorders relies on standardised evaluations in which pattern-tests characterise the subject's status according to the classical aphasiological typology. Those data are then analysed to support a traditional prevalent criterion for the distinction between "normal" and "pathological" linguistic performance, which is strictly focused on a quantitative approach. In the present study a method for evaluation and treatment of aphasia is proposed in which socio-cultural conditions are emphasised, in order to expand this conventional criterion as to encompass a qualitative (individualised) one. Although the methodology draws the attention, the results here obtained also point to the importance of re-evaluating what is presently considered as the most appropriate criterion for "normal" cognitive processes, particularly those related to language.

Key-words: neuropsychological tests, aphasia, aphasia rehabilitation, conduction aphasia.

RESUMO

Na literatura relativa à neuropsicologia da linguagem prevalece como modelo de investigação a adoção de testes destinados à avaliação normatizada de indivíduos afásicos, o que permite uma análise padronizada e subsequentemente a classificação do sujeito de acordo com as tipologias afasiológicas clássicas. Neste contexto, tais dados estão sendo considerados à luz do critério atualmente vigente, que propõe uma distinção estritamente quantitativa entre o desempenho linguístico "normal" e o "patológico". Neste estudo desenvolvemos abordagem metodológica para avaliação e tratamento de sujeitos afásicos com o intuito de priorizar suas condições sócio-culturais, incorporando assim ao critério convencional um aspecto eminentemente qualitativo. Ainda que o objeto do estudo seja a metodologia apresentada, os resultados obtidos indicam a importância de debate em tomo de reavaliação do que se considera presentemente como critério de "normalidade" para análise dos processos cognitivos, e em particular da linguagem.

Palavras-chave: testes neuropsicológicos, afasia, reabilitação em afasias, afasia de condução.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Acknowledgements - The authors wish to thank Dr. Maria I. H. Coudry for her helpful advice on linguistics and Dr. R. A. Martins for his helpful advice on image analysis presentation. We also thank the subject of this study and his family for their generous and patient participation in the research. We are particularly grateful to the referees who presented valuable suggestions to this article.

Aceite: 23-abril-1997.

Renata R. Ferreira, M.D. - PO Box 5565-4 - 13094-970 Campinas SP, Brazil.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  18 Oct 2010
• Date of issue
  Sept 1997