CIAT uses a simple card game to improve communication. Instead of a regular deck, each set of cards contains 15 pairs with drawings of various objects. Patients were told to ask for the matching card by speaking as much as they could and restraining themselves from using gestures. The cards were arranged so that the drawings became increasingly difficult to describe.
Under the supervision of researchers, patients played three hours of the CIAT card game once a day for two weeks. Some were also instructed to play the game at home and communicate with family members when they wanted. Six months later, 85 percent of the patients showed a significant improvement in their ability to communicate, such as correctly naming pictures and repeating single words or sentences.
Although CIAT is the first coordinated program to show an effect with language, Meinzer said that other rehabilitation efforts could prove helpful, as long as they are vigorous.
"Any well-founded treatment might benefit from a more intensive training schedule." he said.
Still, most patients do not fully recover from a stroke, even with the right training. "There is no such thing as an instant cure." he said. "Improvements are usually related to longer periods of practice."
But Meinzer said the results are heartening nonetheless. Until recently, few thought that language skills could even be partly recovered years after suffering a stroke.
"Improvements after only two weeks of training are quite impressive." he said. "It’s a step up the ladder."
