[Social psychological aspects of rehabilitating aphasics].

Impairments of the speech and motor functions are the most grave sequelae of cerebral strokes and neurosurgical diseases. Along with the neurological symptoms the patients develop psychopathological ones which are either manifestations of a vascular or focal pathology, or a reaction to the defect and to the changed social, occupational, and family status. In Moscow, a specialized logopedic service has been established which makes it possible to take logopedic and rehabilitation (in the broad sense of the word) measures at various stages of the disease. This service includes logopedic stations at emergency aid, neurological, and neurosurgical divisions of hospitals and polyclinics, the city centre, and a specialized hospital for patients with speech pathologies. At the latter two institutions new methods of the work (in addition to the traditional ones) are practised, particularly, restoration of the higher psychic functions in the process of working activity, teaching non-verbal communication, family psychotherapy, etc. which considerably increase the effect of the rehabilitation.