Language disorders in patients after stroke: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective. This paper aimed to present scientific evidence based on a systematic literature review (PRISMA) answering the research question: “What are the communication disorders in adult and older post-stroke patients?”. Method. The articles were searched in the SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, BIREME, and Web of Science databases, with no restriction of place, time, or the language of publication. The studies were selected with combinations based on the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and complemented with a search for gray literature in Google Scholar. Results. Two studies with scores ≥6 points in the qualitative protocol proposed by Pithon et al. (2015) were included in the research. Altogether, 51 articles were identified with a potential to be included, of which two met the inclusion criteria and answered the research question. The findings indicate that patients with combined aphasia and dysarthria, compared with patients with no language changes, initially had lower functional abilities – though with a significant potential for functional recovery in the activities of daily living. Also, no direct relationship was verified between the severity of the ischemic stroke and aphasia. However, the people with post-stroke aphasia, when compared with those without aphasia, revealed a greater severity score in the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Conclusão. The communication difficulties resulting from post-stroke language disorders are responsible for affecting the patients, especially regarding their social engagement, mood, activities of daily living, and quality of life.