Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Melodic intonation therapy

Precautions

Patients and caregivers should be aware that there is little research to support consistent success with MIT. Theoretically, this form of therapy has the potential to improve speech communication to a limited extent.

Description

Melodic intonation therapy was originally developed as a treatment method for speech improvements in adults with aphasia. The initial method has had several modifications, mostly adaptations for use by children with apraxia. The primary structure of this therapy remains relatively consistent however.

There are four steps, or levels, generally outlining the path of therapy.

Preparation

Preparation for MIT involves some additional research into the therapy and discussions with a neurologist and a speech pathologist. It is important to have an understanding of the affected brain areas. MIT is most likely to be successful for patients who meet certain criteria such as non-bilateral brain damage, good auditory aptitude, non-fluent verbal communication, and poor word repetition. The speech pathologist should be familiar with the different MIT methodologies as they relate to either adults or children.

Aftercare

There is no required aftercare for MIT.

Risks

There are no physical risks associated with the use of melodic intonation therapy.

Normal results

The expected outcome after completion of the MIT sequence is increased communication through production of intelligible word groups. Patients are typically able to form short sentences of 3–5 words, but more complex communication may also be possible depending on the initial cause of speech impairment.

Resources

BOOKS

Aldridge, David. Music Therapy in Dementia Care. Jessica Kingsley Publishing, 2000.

PERIODICALS

Baker, Felicity A. "Modifying the Melodic Intonation Therapy Program for Adults with Severe Non-fluent Aphasia." Music Therapy Perspectives 18, no. 2 (2000): 110–14.

Belin, P., et al. "Recovery from Nonfluent Aphasia After Melodic Intonation Therapy: A PET Study." Neurology 47, no. 6 (December 1996): 1504–11.

Bonakdarpour, B., A. Eftekharzadeh, and H. Ashayeri. "Preliminary Report on the Effects of Melodic Intonation Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Persian Aphasic Patients." Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences 25 (2000): 156–60.

Helfrich-Miller, Kathleen. "A Clinical Perspective: Melodic Intonation Therapy for Developmental Apraxia." Clinics in Communication Disorders 4, no. 3 (1994): 175–82.

Roper, Nicole. "Melodic Intonation Therapy with Young Children with Apraxia." Bridges 1, no. 8 (May 2003).

Sparks R, Holland A. "Method: melodic intonation therapy for aphasia." Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders. 1976; 41: 287–297.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. (301) 897-5700 or (800) 638-8255; Fax: (301) 571-0457. action center@asha.org. .

Music Therapy Association of British Columbia. 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7J 3H5, Canada. (604) 924-0046; Fax: (604) 983-7559. info@mtabc.com. .

The Center For Music Therapy. 404-A Baylor Street, Austin, TX 78703. (512) 472-5016; Fax: (512) 472-5017. info@centerformusictherapy.com. .