コミュニケーションアプリの開発と重度失語症者1症例に対する介入効果の検討

Development of a communication application and a pilot study of its effectiveness with a severely aphasic stroke patient

　近年，コンピュータベースの失語症治療(computer based aphasia therapy：CBAT)が注目されてきている．本研究では，基本的な会話のやりとりが可能となることを目的に，タブレット端末で行う簡易なアプリを制作し，失語症者への活用を試みた．症例は70歳台，右利きの男性．診断名は左被殻出血で発症から3か月経過していた．方法は，シングルケース実験法を用いて2セッション実施した．各セッションは，絵カードを用いた通常課題をベースライン期，アプリを用いた課題を通常課題に加えて実施する介入期を設け，評価は復唱課題を用いて行った．結果として，2回のセッションともに，ベースライン期より介入期において有意に復唱課題の成績が良好であった．このことから，今後CBATを日常の臨床場面に導入することで，失語症者への効果を生み出す可能性が示唆された．

　Recently, computer-based aphasia therapy (CBAT) has been often used. Here, we created a simple conversation training application (App) using a tablet terminal (10.5-inch iPad Pro, Apple Inc.) and conducted a clinical pilot study. A right-handed male patient in his 70's, with severe aphasia after a left putaminal hemorrhage, participated in this study. We adopted a single-case experimental method with an ABAB reversal design:during a baseline period, a conventional task with picture cards was provided, and during an intervention period, a new task with our App was added to the conventional task. We administered this cycle twice using different word sets as Session 1 and Session 2. Word repetition tasks were used to evaluate his progress after each training day. As a result, the repetition task scores were significantly greater during the intervention period than the baseline period in both sessions. It is suggested that CBAT like our App might be effective in daily speech-language-hearing therapy in the future.