Computer-based aphasia treatment meets artificial intelligence

Computers are increasingly used for aphasia treatment. The major benefit is to increase the number of stimulations the patient receives, since the higher this number is the more the patient can progress. Several studies (see Kinsey 1986) have showed that when patients use computers not only do they improve continuously, but neither do they fear this new technique and it may even be very attractive. Microcomputer systems for aphasia rehabilitation use graphic capabilities (Steele 1988) or speech synthesis (Mills 1981, Bruce 1987). Some systems need the physical presence of a clinician (Seron 1980), while others display and schedule the exercises themselves (Katz 1985). In the latter, the response analysis generally relies on statistical considerations and only concerns one exercise (Deloche 1985).