A Preliminary Examination of a Novel Telepractice Screening Protocol for Poststroke Aphasia

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Telepractice interventions for poststroke aphasia are effective and feasible.
• Telepractice assessments, especially screening protocols, are under-examined for aphasia.
• Convenient access to aphasia diagnostic services is a goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine a novel telepractice screening protocol for poststroke aphasia.
• To assess language and extralinguistic cognitive abilities.
• To utilize performance-based and patient-reported measures.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one participants with poststroke aphasia completed telepractice assessments.
• Administered Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test (FAST), Aphasia Impact Questionnaire-21 (AIQ-21), Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS), and Cognitive-Communication Checklist for Acquired Brain Injury (CCCABI).
• Care partners completed the Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI); participants rated feasibility.

Main Results:

• All participants screened positive for aphasia.
• Strong correlations found between OCS and FAST (r=.74), and OCS and CCCABI (r=-.71).
• Telepractice administration was rated positively for feasibility.

Conclusions:

• The telepractice screening protocol is effective and feasible for identifying poststroke aphasia.
• Identifying milder aphasia severity remains challenging, similar to in-person methods.
• Future research should explore this protocol in the broader stroke population.