A new treatment for people who develop the communication disability aphasia after a stroke will be trialled by La Trobe University researchers, following a Federal Government grant.
Aphasia is a language disorder that arises after damage to the language networks in the brain, with stroke a major cause. It affects one third of stroke survivors.
People with aphasia have difficulty producing and understanding spoken and written language, despite still knowing what they want to communicate.
Dr John Pierce from La Trobe's Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation secured a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant of $565,000 the first time he applied.
"We're very excited about the potential of this research to have a real impact for people living with aphasia," said Dr Pierce, an early career researcher.
"Aphasia has profound effects on every area of people's lives as well as their family and friends.
"This grant allows us to trial our new treatment for post-stroke aphasia called M-MAT Tele; Professor Miranda Rose developed Multi-Modality Aphasia Therapy a few years ago to treat aphasia. In M-MAT, a speech pathologist supports patients with aphasia to build their everyday communication during targeted language tasks in small groups."
The MRFF grant will enable Dr Pierce and his team to provide M-MAT via telehealth, overcoming the challenge of distance that many people with aphasia face when seeking treatment.
M-MAT Tele was developed initially with an internal grant from La Trobe, then further supported by funding from the Stroke Foundation and Speech Pathology Australia.
Through a partnership with Austin Health, Dr Pierce will collaborate with health services to provide treatment to aphasia patients leaving hospital.
Tim Adam, pictured, developed aphasia following a stroke when he was 49 years old. Now 63, Tim says therapy has been integral to learning to speak, read and write again.
"Aphasia affects people differently. I have difficulty finding the words I want and it takes me time to say the things I want to say. This means my conversation can be limited. I think aphasia can make a person feel isolated," Tim said.
"Therapy helped me learn how to speak, read and write again. I had no idea about aphasia until I had my stroke and the speech pathologists were wonderful in helping me understand what had happened to me and how to deal with it. They helped me learn how to manage my limitations.
"This trial will bring together people with similar communication difficulties from all around Australia using telehealth, and help them know they are not alone in this journey."
La Trobe's Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Industry Engagement, Professor Chris Pakes said acquiring the grant as a first time applicant was a fantastic achievement.
"I congratulate Dr John Pierce on this significant accomplishment, his success underscores the wealth of talent we have at La Trobe who are working to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve," Professor Pakes said.
"This research will enable those who have experienced a stroke to access treatment regardless of where they are located, making health care more accessible for rural and remote Australians."
