Counseling and Care Partner Training in Primary Progressive Aphasia

Abstract

Purpose Individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) experience loss of communication abilities in the context of neurodegenerative disease. Consequently, many individuals with PPA endorse negative psychosocial effects, including social isolation, reduced communication confidence, and depression. Incorporating communication-centered counseling early and often within the speech-language pathology treatment framework is a vital component in holistically addressing the multifaceted ramifications of living with this devastating disorder. Additionally, care partners are key stakeholders in the treatment dynamic. Involving these individuals in the treatment paradigm through care partner training is crucial for facilitating optimal communication in daily life. The purpose of this narrative literature review is to discuss existing research regarding counseling and care partner training in PPA and to outline additional treatment considerations and future research needs in this understudied area. Conclusions Relative to studies that delineate restitutive speech-language interventions for PPA, the literature pertaining to counseling and care partner training is limited. Available evidence supports the utility of these approaches, which serve as complementary components to restitutive and compensatory speech-language intervention. Additional research is warranted to support generalizability and long-term benefit of these interventions, and to address facets of counseling and care partner training that have not been explored in PPA (e.g., counseling interventions drawing from specific psychotherapeutic traditions; multicultural counseling) or have only been explored to a limited degree (e.g., interventions that jointly provide counseling and partner training).

Behavioral Treatment for Speech and Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia and Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech: A Systematic Review

“…Failure to address these issues may affect the care partner's ability to provide care and support to the person with PPA/PPAOS (Reinhard et al, 2008). At present, a limited number of studies have begun to address the need for caregiver-focused interventions (Schaffer & Henry, 2021); these should be considered in future reviews of the treatment literature in PPA/PPAOS.…”

“…The review similarly excluded interventions directed specifically toward psychological well-being for persons with PPA, although speech or language interventions with outcome measures characterizing changes in communicationrelated quality of life, confidence, and mood were captured. Anxiety, depression, frustration, and grief are common in persons with PPA (Davies & Howe, 2019;Ruggero et al, 2019) and interventions targeting psychological well-being are warranted; at present, however, only a small number of such interventions have been reported (Morhardt et al, 2019;Schaffer & Henry, 2021;Taylor-Rubin et al, 2019).…”

Perspective of Speech and Language Therapists in Turkey on Primary Progressive Aphasia

“…Therefore ideal is speech-language therapy tailored to the needs of the individual with PPA (Murray et al, 1998). Therefore, restitution and compensatory treatments should include communication partner support and environmental modifications (Schaffer & Henry, 2021). Treatment may also be intertwined with speech-language therapy to target neuropsychiatric and psychosocial sequelae with complementary approaches such as counseling and care partner training (Schaffer & Henry, 2021).…”