[Speech therapy for Aphasia following cerebrovascular accident]

Cerebrovascular accidents of the dominant hemisphere often result in aphasia. In this article the different types of aphasia are briefly explained and the pattern of spontaneous recovery, as well as the determining factors for the evolution, are discussed. Some therapeutic approaches are outlined and the main studies investigating the efficacy and specificity of speech therapy are presented. Finally, criteria for the selection of patients for intensive speech therapy are suggested.