Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programmes: a systematic scoping review and analysis using the TIDieR checklist for...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Aphasia, a language disorder post-stroke, causes communication, social, and mental health challenges.
• Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programmes (ICAPs) offer multi-approach, intensive intervention for aphasia consequences.
• Current understanding of ICAP composition requires further characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically scope and define the components constituting an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programme (ICAP).
• To identify variations and commonalities in ICAP interventions reported in the literature.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Searches covered peer-reviewed and grey literature databases for ICAPs.
• Data extraction followed the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist, with narrative synthesis.

Main Results:

• Seventeen ICAPs were identified across 20 literature sources.
• Significant variation exists in intervention dose and involved professionals.
• Intervention content was highly individualized within ICAPs, lacking participant qualitative data.

Conclusions:

• ICAPs are intensive, impairment-based programs with added comprehensive components, but require stronger rationale.
• The ICAP model is emerging in clinical practice, with its intensity component theoretically underpinned.
• Clinicians can adapt ICAP principles, focusing on both impairment and broader life impacts of aphasia.