What Are the Best Treatments for Expressive Aphasia?

Key Takeaways

• Expressive Aphasia has no specific treatment.
• The primary treatment for expressive aphasia is speech and language therapy, administered by speech-language pathologists.
• Speech and language therapy is done through various techniques which may help with impairment recovery. Some other techniques may supplement or compensate for communication.
• There are several new expressive aphasia treatment options, such as medications and electrical brain stimulation. However, these treatment options still need further research to prove their efficacy.

Introduction

Expressive aphasia often occurs after injury or damage to the language processing area of your brain – the Broca’s area. People with this condition may experience symptoms such as problems speaking, difficulty writing, and inability to say full sentences.

Although your comprehension is often preserved, the communication difficulties you experience can be upsetting. Mild cases of expressive aphasia often resolve after a while; however, if you have the moderate or severe form, you will require treatment. Luckily, there are several treatment options available to you. These treatments are usually administered by your speech-language pathologist and tailored based on your specific needs and severity of brain damage.

This article will discuss the various types of exercises speech therapists use to treat expressive aphasia or Broca’s aphasia.

Table of Contents

• Speech and Language Therapy
  • Word Retrieval Therapy
    • Semantic Feature Analysis
    • Phonological Component Analysis
  • Melodic Intonation Therapy
  • Constraint-Induced Language Therapy
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Newer Treatment Options
  • Medications
  • Electrical Brain Stimulation
    • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
    • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
• Does Reading Aloud Help with Aphasia
• Will I Ever Recover From Expressive Aphasia?
• Wrapping Up

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is the main treatment option for expressive aphasia. The goal of speech therapy is to restore speech and communication or teach you alternative methods of communication. It improves your reading and writing confidence and allows you to regain independence.

After a comprehensive assessment, your speech-language pathologist will create a personalized treatment plan containing varying techniques depending on your needs and goals. Here are some of the common speech therapy options they may explore.

1. Word Retrieval Therapy

People with expressive aphasia often experience difficulty finding the right word to use. Word retrieval therapy focuses on providing cues or hints to help you think of a word. There are two major types of word retrieval therapy. They include:

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)

This therapy improves your ability to remember and say words. It typically involves viewing the picture of an object and then answering questions about that object.

For instance, if it’s a picture of a fruit, you may be asked systematic questions like:

1. What color is it?
2. What shape is it?
3. What is it?
4. Where do you usually find it?
5. What do you use it for?

Phonological Component Analysis (PCA)

Phonological component therapy is another interesting type of word retrieval therapy. Your speech-language pathologist will provide a picture of an object and phonological cues to help you remember and produce the word. Cues include:

• What sound does the word start with?
• What other word sounds the same?
• What does it rhyme with?
• How many syllables does it have?
• What sound does the word end with?

2. Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT)

This therapy uses singing to improve speech. It utilizes pitch, rhythm, and stress to stimulate speech production and is especially useful for people with severe expressive aphasia.

3. Constraint-Induced Language Therapy

This intensive therapy restricts nonverbal forms of communication, forcing the use of verbal speech only, enhancing speaking skills with consistent practice.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication

This approach teaches new strategies such as communication books, gestures, photos, or high-tech speech-generating devices to supplement or replace speech.

Newer Treatment Options for Expressive Aphasia

Medications

Some drugs like bromocriptine, galantamine, donepezil, and piracetam are under study for their effectiveness in helping speech recovery by enhancing brain function.

Electrical Brain Stimulation

Emerging therapies such as:

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Delivers weak electrical currents through electrodes to stimulate brain activity, often for 20–30 minutes per session.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Uses magnetic coils to stimulate nerve cells in the damaged brain area. Sessions may last from 3 to 40 minutes, with multiple treatments over weeks.

Does Reading Aloud Help With Aphasia?

Yes, it does. The method is called Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia (ORLA), which improves speech, reading, and prosody through sentence reading exercises.

Will I Ever Recover From Expressive Aphasia?

Your recovery depends on the severity of the condition, the cause, and the treatment. Mild cases may resolve quickly, while severe cases may need prolonged therapy.

Wrapping Up

The best treatment depends on the individual’s condition and goals. A speech-language pathologist will design a suitable treatment plan that may involve individual, group, or online therapy.

References

1. Hasan et al. (2024)
2. Puttanna et al. (2021)
3. ASHA – Aphasia
4. Brain Stimulation Therapies – NIMH
5. Wilson et al. (2019)