Case Study - Severe Broca’s Aphasia (brain injury)


Case Study

Severe Broca’s Aphasia (brain injury)

Age: 17

Time since brain injury: 10 months


Problems

Lilly sustained a severe traumatic brain injury after a motor vehicle accident. She wanted to text and talk to her friends, and finish her senior year of high school. However, she spoke in single words, frequently substituted words, and didn’t really understand conversation. For example, if greeted by “How are you?”, she would smile and say “Oh. Yes”.

She was always motivated to work. Due to her accident, she needed help with balance while walking. She engaged easily with other clients and liked to create jokes.

Assessment

Using The Aphasia Center's testing protocols
  • Able to read and write short, familiar single words
  • Repeated single words
  • Difficulty understanding spoken information
  • Speaks in short, familiar phrases
  • Limited use of strategies, such as trying to use her phone but typically ended up showing photos of people

Treatment

She completed a 8-week program with tDCS

and My Aphasia Coach software homework daily.


Results

Before
After
Answering Questions
16%
83%
Picture Description
15%
57%
Reading
50%
100%
Naming
66%
89%
Repetition
14%
24%

Outcome

  • Learned how to use strategies effectively
  • Increased her awareness about difficulties with speech
  • Started writing full sentences
  • Began speaking in full sentences - the first full sentence since her accident!
  • Better understood social greetings and answered egocentric questions correctly
  • Ordered her own drink at Starbucks for the first time