Does repetition improve word retrieval in speakers with aphasia?

Difficulty in retrieving the words needed for communication is a common symptom of aphasia and hence this problem is an important target for treatment. A number of different tasks have been evaluated for their effectiveness as therapy tools. One such task is repetition, where the person with aphasia is asked to repeat the name of the hard-to-retrieve target (having been told the name by the clinician). However, in the past, it has been argued that this task does not benefit naming or if it does, the effects last for only a very short time. Here we present the results of four single case treatment studies using repetition as a tool with people with word finding difficulties. Each individual received 2 short periods of therapy (each comprising 8 sessions over 2–3 weeks). We will demonstrate that repetition can be a successful therapy technique generating significant and durable benefits for word retrieval. We will present the results of the therapy in detail and discuss the clinical implications and future directions for research.