Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of short-term constraint-induced aphasia therapy on chronic aphasia after stroke. Methods 30 stroke patients with chronic aphasia accepted speech therapy for a total of 30 hours. The control group (n=15) accepted routine speech training and the treatment group (n=15) accepted constraint- induced aphasia therapy 3 hours a day. They were assessed with the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and the Communicative Activity Log (CAL) before and after treatment. Results The treatment group improved significantly in oral expression, naming and repetition function of WAB after treatment (P<0.001), but not significantly in listening understanding (P=0.066); while the control group improved significantly in oral expression (P<0.001). The treatment group also significantly improved in CAL (P<0.001). Conclusion Constraint- induced aphasia therapy can significantly improve the speech for stroke patients with chronic aphasia in the short term.

Key words: stroke, chronic aphasia, constraint-induced therapy, speech therapy, rehabilitation