Effectiveness of sensorimotor therapy on action naming in post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review

Aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain injury, often results in action naming difficulties. This systematic review reports and analyzes the studies on speech-therapy interventions that use sensorimotor strategies for treating isolated verbs in individuals with chronic aphasia. Following PRISMA guidelines, the MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycInfo databases were searched on January 18, 2024, for articles published in English and French between 1996 and 2024. The articles were screened and assessed for quality using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). The studies were also categorized according to the treatment methods used. Fourteen studies were included and divided into three treatment categories: (1) action observation (<i>n</i> = 7), (2) gestures treatments (<i>n</i> = 5), and (3) multicomponent therapy (<i>n</i> = 2). While gestures may be effective as part of a multimodal therapy strategy, they do not lead to better outcomes when used in isolation or in combination with traditional cueing methods. Multimodal therapy, combining gestures with traditional methods, could benefit people with chronic aphasia. However, isolated gesture therapy showed less consistent results. Further research with randomized controlled trials is needed to validate these results and investigate further communication outcomes. Combining gestures with traditional methods can improve action naming for individuals with chronic aphasia.Isolated gesture therapy shows less consistent results compared to multimodal approaches.The severity of aphasia significantly influences rehabilitation success, necessitating tailored therapeutic approaches. Combining gestures with traditional methods can improve action naming for individuals with chronic aphasia. Isolated gesture therapy shows less consistent results compared to multimodal approaches. The severity of aphasia significantly influences rehabilitation success, necessitating tailored therapeutic approaches.