Perspectives on Treatment for Communication Deficits Associated With Right Hemisphere Brain Damage

Abstract

Purpose To describe the current treatment research for communication (prosodic, discourse, and pragmatic) deficits associated with right hemisphere brain damage and to provide suggestions for treatment selection given the paucity of evidence specifically for this population. Method The discussion covers (a) clinical decision processes and evidence-based practice; (b) a review of right hemisphere communication deficits and existing treatment studies; (c) accounts of right hemisphere function, right hemisphere deficits, and theoretically motivated treatments; and (d) a guide for exploring and selecting treatments based on deficits rather than etiology. Conclusions Controlled treatment studies for communication deficits specifically for adults with right hemisphere brain damage are limited to aprosodia. For other communication deficits, clinicians may select treatments based on current theories of right hemisphere function and right hemisphere deficits, and/or treatments developed for other etiologies for which deficits are similar to those associated with right hemisphere damage.