Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions

Aphasia is a multimodal language disorder that affects individuals across all language cultures, disrupting speaking, listening, reading, writing, and gestural communication. Although aphasia is challenging to manage in monolingual individuals, it becomes even more complex in linguistically diverse...

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Main Authors: Gerald C. Imaezue, David Ajayi, Celine Davis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1612413/full
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author Gerald C. Imaezue
David Ajayi
Celine Davis
author_facet Gerald C. Imaezue
David Ajayi
Celine Davis
author_sort Gerald C. Imaezue
collection DOAJ
description Aphasia is a multimodal language disorder that affects individuals across all language cultures, disrupting speaking, listening, reading, writing, and gestural communication. Although aphasia is challenging to manage in monolingual individuals, it becomes even more complex in linguistically diverse populations due to factors such as differences in language-specific features, limited linguistically customizable behavioral therapies and clinicians’ cross-linguistic competence. This critical review examines current and emerging treatment approaches for linguistically diverse populations, highlighting the progression from traditional behavioral interventions to innovative modalities, including state-of-the-art AI-driven and culturally sensitive interventions designed to overcome cultural and linguistic barriers and enhance therapy outcomes. The review emphasizes the growing need for aphasia care specific to linguistically diverse populations, with a focus on personalized treatment strategies and innovations in digital therapeutics that account for cultural and linguistic nuances. Specifically, we advocate for: (1) personalizing restorative aphasia therapies to users’ preferred languages; (2) restorative therapies that leverage universal nonverbal systems and neurobiological modulations as primary treatment modalities; and (3) digital innovations such as multilingual artificial intelligence systems for restorative aphasia therapy, particularly delivered through smartphones. Additionally, ethical considerations—including cultural responsiveness, clinician preparedness, and patient data protection-are discussed to inform future directions in equitable and effective aphasia care. Overall, this study provides insights to guide the development of inclusive and innovative aphasia interventions for linguistically diverse populations.
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spelling doaj-art-0ca26494d76345ecb792f86aee78762c2025-08-20T04:00:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-08-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16124131612413Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directionsGerald C. ImaezueDavid AjayiCeline DavisAphasia is a multimodal language disorder that affects individuals across all language cultures, disrupting speaking, listening, reading, writing, and gestural communication. Although aphasia is challenging to manage in monolingual individuals, it becomes even more complex in linguistically diverse populations due to factors such as differences in language-specific features, limited linguistically customizable behavioral therapies and clinicians’ cross-linguistic competence. This critical review examines current and emerging treatment approaches for linguistically diverse populations, highlighting the progression from traditional behavioral interventions to innovative modalities, including state-of-the-art AI-driven and culturally sensitive interventions designed to overcome cultural and linguistic barriers and enhance therapy outcomes. The review emphasizes the growing need for aphasia care specific to linguistically diverse populations, with a focus on personalized treatment strategies and innovations in digital therapeutics that account for cultural and linguistic nuances. Specifically, we advocate for: (1) personalizing restorative aphasia therapies to users’ preferred languages; (2) restorative therapies that leverage universal nonverbal systems and neurobiological modulations as primary treatment modalities; and (3) digital innovations such as multilingual artificial intelligence systems for restorative aphasia therapy, particularly delivered through smartphones. Additionally, ethical considerations—including cultural responsiveness, clinician preparedness, and patient data protection-are discussed to inform future directions in equitable and effective aphasia care. Overall, this study provides insights to guide the development of inclusive and innovative aphasia interventions for linguistically diverse populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1612413/fullaphasia treatmentmultilingual aphasia therapyrestorative aphasia therapynonlinguistic aphasia therapyAI-driven aphasia therapy
spellingShingle Gerald C. Imaezue
David Ajayi
Celine Davis
Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
Frontiers in Psychology
aphasia treatment
multilingual aphasia therapy
restorative aphasia therapy
nonlinguistic aphasia therapy
AI-driven aphasia therapy
title Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
title_full Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
title_fullStr Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
title_full_unstemmed Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
title_short Treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations: current and future directions
title_sort treatment of aphasia in linguistically diverse populations current and future directions
topic aphasia treatment
multilingual aphasia therapy
restorative aphasia therapy
nonlinguistic aphasia therapy
AI-driven aphasia therapy
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1612413/full
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