Aphasia with recurring utterances: old syndrome, new perspectives

Background: Little is known about the linguistic, structural and functional recovery on which the production of aphasic recurring utterances (RUs) is based.Methods & Procedures: Retrospective database analysis was performed to study the prevalence of RUs among aphasia patients. Language features and recovery were examined in patients with RUs, who were matched with aphasic controls with similar demographic and clinical characteristics.Outcomes & Results: Of the 147 aphasia patients admitted to a rehabilitation unit, between 2008 and 2012, 12.92% exhibited some form of RU. When we examined the prevalence among those with global aphasia, it increased to 24.6%. Each patient displayed the stereotypy, with some meaningful modulation or intonation with communicative intent. Although there was some recovery (particularly in comprehension), language of all patients remained severely impaired. Patients with RU scored considerably less than the control group in aphasia quotient (U = 209.00; p =.000), in naming task (U = 174.0; p =.002) and in word repetition (U = 196.0; p =.000). But there were no significant differences between the two groups on a comprehension task (t = -.75 (1,28); p =.261) and Token test scores (U = 321.1; p =.130).Conclusions: Our data support the notion that RUs do not represent an absence of language abilities. Language characteristics and recovery pattern were discussed in terms of cognitive processes and neuroplasticity. The social impact of RUs is also highlighted.