Numerous studies show linguistic improvement in individuals with chronic strokeinduced aphasia following the implementation of constraint-induced language therapy (CILT) and therapies targeting semantic categories. However, there are currently no studies that investigate the effectiveness of CILT when comparing results for trained and untrained categories of words used in sentences. The purpose of the research study was to determine, in patients with chronic stroke-induced aphasia, if a modified version of CILT targeting semantic categories would increase sentence production for trained and untrained words within trained and untrained semantic categories. Two males with chronic aphasia following stroke who met inclusion and exclusion criteria participated in this investigation. The single participant research incorporated an ABABA design. Participants took part in two phases of CILT (8 sessions per phase) that focused on words selected from two semantic categories: kitchen items and foods. Sessions lasted 1.5 hours and were held four times a week for four weeks. The Western Aphasia Battery-R and Boston Naming Test were administered pre-and post-treatment. The independent variables were Constraint-Induced Language Therapy and semantic category of training stimuli. The dependent variables were the accuracy of sentence production and word retrieval for semantic category words and standardized test scores. Overall, the participants demonstrated positive changes in sentence production and word retrieval only following the second treatment phase. No consistent pattern of generalization was evident within and across semantic categories. The improvement following CILT appeared to be due to cumulative treatment intensity that affected both categories. These findings support previous studies, which suggested that the use of CILT treatment is beneficial in improving language functioning in individuals with chronic stroke-induced aphasia once a sufficient number of sessions has been completed. Based on the research, further investigation is warranted to analyze the impact of CILT for sentence production within trained and untrained semantic categories for individuals with chronic stroke induced aphasia.
