After a stroke, many people experience a language impairment called aphasia. One of the most debilitating types of aphasia is non-fluent aphasia. Non-fluent aphasia is defined by significantly reduced speech production, with the speaker producing only a few words or even less. Speech entrainment therapy (SET) is a treatment that has been shown to increase fluency in people with non-fluent aphasia. Our study looks to define the best dose of SET that leads to sustained improvements in spontaneous speech production.
Participants who are eligible will undergo baseline language testing, an MRI, and will be randomized into one of 4 treatment groups: SET for 3 weeks, SET for 4.5 weeks, SET for 6 weeks, and no treatment (control group).

Speech and language therapy for the management of aphasia (a language impairment that often occurs as a result of a stroke) is generally shown to be effective. However, the reasons that certain treatments may work for some individuals, and not others, and why some individuals do not respond to treatment is largely unknown. In this study, we plan to identify and model the relationship between many different factors (such as personal/biographical factors and an individual's baseline cognitive and language abilities) to help predict aphasia treatment outcome. Participants will be recruited for speech and language testing, brain imaging (MRI), and aphasia treatment (as warranted).