Title: Implementation of a multimedia presentation system for computer-based aphasia therapy

Authors: Martin A. Beveridge

Addresses: Advanced Computation Laboratory, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK, 44 Lincoln's Inn fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK

Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of a multimedia presentation system, |Multimedia Microworld|, designed to support the development of therapy programmes for aphasia. The architecture of this system is presented along with a description of key components, in particular the multimedia generation system. This is novel in its use of an integrated approach to text, speech and graphics realisation using a single multimedia grammar, and the use of a single multimedia lexicon to store text, speech and graphical representations of lexical items, hence making it easy to edit or extend the Microworld vocabulary. The use of a unification grammar to formalise the generation process is also described. In other works (Beveridge, 1998; Beveridge and Crerar, 2002) it was shown that this system could be used to develop intervention programmes that were clinically effective after only a short period of therapy and with no need for trained clinical input. This paper argues that, given these clinical results and the design of the system, we have the basis for providing |virtual care| to supplement face-to-face sessions, hence extending the reach of clinical services to patients who cannot regularly attend clinics, and empowering patients to self-administer therapy at home whenever they wish.

Keywords: aphasia therapy; acquired language disorders; computer-based therapy; multimedia presentation; multimodal; multimedia generation; unification grammar; rehabilitation; healthcare technology; virtual care; virtual primary healthcare; home therapy; e-healthcare; electronic healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2006.008426

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2006 Vol.7 No.5, pp.364 - 386

Published online: 20 Dec 2005 *

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