Prognostic Factors in Vascular Motor Aphasia after Music Therapy

Aphasia is a language disorder linked to brain damage or dysfunction, characterized by difficulties in expression and/or comprehension. Aphasia is common after a stroke and may require lengthy, costly, and sometimes inappropriate treatments, which can hinder the patient’s socio-professional life. The use of self-administered rehabilitation methods, such as music therapy, could improve the functional outcomes of aphasic patients. Objectives: To determine the prognostic factors of post-stroke motor aphasia treated with music therapy. Methodology: This was a prospective, multicenter cohort study involving patients with verbal expression disorders of vascular origin, without a history of motor aphasia or cognitive disorders prior to the stroke. Aphasia was assessed using the Language screening test (LAST). Patients were randomly divided into three groups: GBI1 (speech therapy), GBI2 (music therapy), and GNBI (no rehabilitation). Therapeutic sessions were conducted for up to 3 months for the intervention groups, with assessments made at admission, at month 1 (M1), and at month 3 (M3). Results: A total of 55 patients were included, predominantly male, with an average age of 61 years. Broca’s aphasia accounted for 2 out of every 5 patients in the study population. The mean LAST scores at 1 month were 8.7 for GBI1, compared to 11.4 for GBI2 and 6.3 for GNBI. At 3 months, the scores were 10.55, 13.4, and 6, respectively. The prognostic factors for vascular motor aphasia treated with music therapy included the musical environment (p = 0.012), the type of stroke (p = 0.006), and the automatic series (p = 0.009). These factors were associated with the LAST score dimensions of naming, repetition, and automatic series. Conclusion: Music therapy improves aphasia of vascular origin.