Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Communications

First Advisor

Tonya Bergeson

Second Advisor

Mary Gospel

Abstract

Aphasia, often resulting from stroke, head injury, or other conditions like tumors or diseases, impacts both expression and comprehension of language, written and spoken. This study explores the potential of music in aiding individuals with non-fluent aphasia. The researchers examined if pairing linguistic phrases with a musical structure affects the speech production of individuals with non-fluent aphasia. The researchers gathered a language sample and mood ratings before and after music and speech conditions. The participants’ utterances were longer after undergoing the music condition than the speech condition. The results show that the participants exhibited greater improvement in speech production after undergoing the music exercise compared to the speech exercise. In addition, the participants' emotional well-being improved more after the music condition compared to the speech condition.

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