Acquired Apraxia of Speech: Comparison of Electropalatography Treatment and Sound Production Treatment.

Purpose This investigation compared 2 treatment approaches for acquired apraxia of speech. The effects of a treatment that uses an articulatory-kinematic approach in conjunction with visual biofeedback (VBFB) via electropalatography (EPG) were compared to Sound Production Treatment (SPT), an established behavioral treatment that is also an articulatory-kinematic approach. Method A multiple baseline design across behaviors and participants was used with 2 participants with chronic apraxia of speech and aphasia. Accuracy of target speech sounds in treated and untreated words or phrases in probe sessions served as the dependent variable. The effects of 2 treatments based on an articulatory-kinematic approach were compared: (a) VBFB via EPG and (b) SPT. The order of treatments was counterbalanced across participants. Results Positive changes in articulatory accuracy were observed for SPT and VBFB treatment via EPG. Generalization to untreated stimulus items composed of treated speech sounds was also positive for both treatments. However, participants achieved greater articulatory accuracy with SPT during treatment and better long-term maintenance. Discussion Both treatment approaches resulted in improved speech production accuracy, but gains were greater for SPT. However, further research with additional participants is needed due to the small sample size included in this investigation.