Aphasia
Treatment

Melodic Intonation Therapy

External Scientific Evidence

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines

No evidence-based practice guidelines were found.

 

 

 

 

 

Evidence-Based Systematic Reviews

Music in the Treatment of Neurological Language and Speech Disorders: A Systematic Review Hurkmans, J., de Bruijn, M., et al. (2012). Aphasiology, 26(1), 1-19. This review meets the criteria for a high-quality evidence-based systematic review. Added: May 2012

 

Description

This is a review of published research studies investigating the effectiveness of Speech-Music Therapy for Aphasia (SMTA), a combination of speech-language pathology and music therapy to treat individuals with aphasia. 

 

Conclusions

• All studies reported positive results from treatment; the majority of which (9/15) investigated the use of melodic intonation therapy (MIT) or modified-MIT. However, treatment outcomes varied across studies and methodological quality of studies was considered low.
• The authors suggest that "no conclusions can yet be drawn with regard to the effect of the use of musical elements in the treatment of individuals with acquired neurological disorders" (p. 16). Further research is warranted. 

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Melodic Intonation Therapy: Present Controversies and Future Opportunities van der Meulen, I., van de Sandt-Koenderman, M. E., et al. (2012). Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 93(Suppl 1), S46-52.  Added: May 2012

 

Description

This is a review of research literature investigating the use of melodic intonation therapy (MIT) for the treatment of individuals with aphasia. 

 

Conclusions

Overall, the studies found positive effects for the use of MIT to improve verbal production in individuals with aphasia. The majority of participants were in the chronic phase of recovery. Further research is warranted as many studies were exploratory case studies or case-series pre- and post-test designs. 

 

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