Open Access

The utilization of virtual reality (VR) technology has shown promise in various therapeutic applications, particularly in exposure therapy for reducing fear of certain situations objects or activities, e.g. fear of height, or negative evaluation of others in social situations. VR has been shown to yield positive outcomes in follow-up studies, and provides a safe and ecological therapeutic environment for therapists and their patients. This paper presents a collaborative effort to develop a VR speech therapy system which simulates a virtual audience for users to practice their public speaking skills. We describe a novel web-based graphica user interface that enables therapists to manage the therapy session using a simple timeline. Lastly, we present the results from a qualitative study with therapists and teachers with functional dysphonia, which highlight the potential of such an application to support and augment the therapists’ work and the remaining challenges regarding the design of natural interactions, agent behaviours and scenario customisation for patients.

Older adults in long-term care homes are at high risk of experiencing reduced quality of life (QoL) and depression. Technology-assisted biography work can have a positive impact on QoL and mood, but there is little research on its use with this target group. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of tablet-based biography work conducted by volunteers on the QoL of residents and volunteers. A pretest-posttest control group design with an intervention period of 3 months and a 3-month follow-up was used. Results show a significant increase in participation for volunteers and residents after the intervention, which is stable for residents until follow-up. Volunteers also show significant improvement in mental QoL immediately after the intervention. There were no significant effects for life satisfaction, self-esteem, or depression. No significant changes were found for the control group. Digitally conducted tablet-based biography work appears to have effects on QoL-associated outcomes.

Mit dem demografischen Wandel wird der Anteil der institutionalisierten Menschen im hohen Alter in den kommenden Jahrzehnten stark zunehmen. Sie sind oftmals betroffen von altersbedingten Einschränkungen in der Kommunikation, dem Erleben von Einsamkeit, Einbußen in der Lebensqualität und tragen ein erhöhtes Risiko, an einer Demenz zu erkranken. Mit Blick auf die mögliche Entwicklung logopädisch relevanter Beeinträchtigungen erscheint es sinnvoll, entsprechende Präventionsmaßnahmen zu erarbeiten. Die Rekrutierung und Einbindung der Zielgruppe gestaltet sich durch ihre institutionelle Einbettung und besonderen Bedarfe komplex. Barrieren und potenzielle Förderfaktoren für die Forschung mit Bewohner*innen von Senioreneinrichtungen werden anhand der aktuellen Literatur und der Erfahrungen aus dem Forschungsprojekt BaSeTaLK vorgestellt. Es werden erste Ideen generiert, wie sich die genannten Herausforderungen durch die Einbindung von Logopäd*innen an der Schnittstelle von Forschung und Praxis überwinden lassen und welche besondere Rolle auch Studierende der Logopädie in der geriatrischen Forschung einnehmen können. Außerdem wird der Mehrwert für die klinisch-praktische Versorgung diskutiert.

Health problem: In Germany, about 100,000 people currently suffer from aphasia. This speech disorder occurs as a result of neurologic events such as stroke or traumatic brain injury. Aphasia causes major limitations in social participation and quality of life and can be associated with unemployability and social isolation. For affected persons, it is essential to regain and maintain autonomy in daily life, both at work and with family and friends. The loss of autonomy is perceived much more dramatically than the loss of speech. Clients wish to minimise this loss of autonomy in daily life. As full recovery is not achievable in chronic aphasia, treatment must focus on improved compensatory approaches and on supporting the clients' coping strategies. Evidence base: Based on eight randomised comparisons including 347 participants, a recent Cochrane review (Brady et al., 2012) revealed that speech therapy - as compared with no treatment - had positive effects on functional communication in clients suffering from aphasia (0.30 SMD; 95% CI[0.08 to 0.52]). There was no evidence suggesting that one type of training was superior to the others. However, quality of life and social participation were not evaluated as outcomes. Recent studies found that speech therapy-led training for communication and self-efficacy and the integration of communication partners may have a positive impact on these client-centred outcomes. Implication for research: Speech therapy-led training for communication within a group setting should be manualised and pilot-tested with respect to feasibility and acceptance in a German sample of people with aphasia and their communication partners. Instruments measuring quality of life and social participation can be validated within the scope of this feasibility study. These research efforts are necessary to prepare a large-scale comparative effectiveness research trial comparing the effects of both usual speech therapy and speech therapy-led group communication training on quality of life and social participation.