According to a new study singing can help to improve the rehabilitation process of a stroke patient, after it showed to promote language function and psychosocial wellbeing for not just the patient, but also their family/carer.
The study provides evidence that group intervention provides opportunities for peer support, whilst also being simultaneously cost effective.
It is believed that apron 40 per cent of stroke survivors will experience aphasia, which is a difficulty to comprehend or produce spoken or written language caused by a cerebrovascular accident.
Furthermore, an estimated half of those survivors with aphasia, the effects will still persist one year post-stroke.
This study, conducted at the University of Helsinki has displayed that singing-based group rehabilitation can support communication and speech production of patients and increase social activity “even at the chronic phase of stroke.”
Postdoctoral researcher Sini-Tuuli Siponkoski says: “Our study is the first where caregivers participated in rehabilitation and their psychological wellbeing was evaluated.”
Versatility
The study’s authors note that previous research has displayed that the ability to sing can be retained even in severe aphasia. However, those of singing, especially choral singing, in aphasia rehabilitation has not been widely studied.
Doctoral researcher Anna Pitkäniemi, says: “Our study utilised a wide variety of singing elements, such as choral singing, melodic intonation therapy and tablet-assisted singing training.”
In melodic intonation therapy, speech production is practised gradual by utilising melody and rhythm to progress from singing towards speech production.
In the study, rehabilitation sessions were ran by a trained music therapist and and a trained choir conductor
“New and effective forms of rehabilitation needed”
Melodic intonation therapy has been used in addition to speech therapy has previously been used in aphasia rehabilitation. Therapy has also been typically implemented as individual therapy, which requires extensive resources.
According to the study’s researchers, singing-based group rehabilitation should be utilised in healthcare as part of aphasia rehabilitation.
Siponkoski, says: “In addition to training in speech production, group-based rehabilitation provides an excellent opportunity for peer support both for the patients and their families.”
