Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients
| All | Singing group | Control group | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 28 | N = 13 | N = 15 | ||
| Demographical | ||||
| Age (years) | 64.7 (8.4) | 64.1 (8.8) | 65.2 (8.3) | 0.731 (t) |
| Sex (male/female) | 14/14 | 7/6 | 7/8 | 0.705 (χ2) |
| Handedness (right/left) | 23/5 | 12/1 | 11/4 | 0.191 (χ2) |
| Education levela | 3.0 (1.3) | 3.2 (1.4) | 2.9 (1.3) | 0.492 (U) |
| Music background | ||||
| Choir singing years | 3.3 (9.3) | 3.8 (12.4) | 2.8 (6.0) | 0.389 (U) |
| Singing lessons years | 0.6 (3.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.2 (4.6) | 0.352 (U) |
| Instrument lessons years | 0.8 (2.3) | 0.2 (0.6) | 1.3 (3.0) | 0.325 (U) |
| Clinical | ||||
| Time from injury (months) | 78.1 (82.0) | 69.7 (77.9) | 85.4 (87.3) | 0.982 (U) |
| Lesion size (cm3) | 89.3 (85.3) | 119.0 (75.6) | 63.5 (87.1) | 0.023 (U) |
| Type of stroke (ischemic/hemorrhagic) | 20/8 | 11/2 | 9/6 | 0.150 (χ2) |
| AQ score (mild or moderate/severe)b | 20/8 | 8/5 | 12/3 | 0.281 (χ2) |
| BDAE verbal agility score | 7.7 (4.8) | 6.5 (5.2) | 8.8 (4.2) | 0.339 (U) |
| Received rehabilitation (T1–T2) | ||||
| Speech therapyc | 7.3 (10.8) | 7.6 (11.6) | 6.9 (10.4) | 0.717 (U) |
| Physical therapyc | 6.9 (12.3) | 8.5 (15.7) | 5.5 (8.8) | 1.000 (U) |
| Occupational therapyc | 2.2 (5.7) | 3.9 (8.0) | 0.7 (1.5) | 0.525 (U) |
| Neuropsychological rehabilitationc | 0.3 (1.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.6 (1.6) | 0.555 (U) |
Data are mean (SD) unless otherwise reported. Bold values denote statistical significance at p < 0.05. t, t test; χ2, chi-square test; U, Mann–Whitney U test; AQ, aphasia quotient; BDAE, Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination.
↵a Education level according to the UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education: range 1 (primary education) to 6 (doctoral or equivalent level).
↵b Aphasia severity based on the AQ score: 0–50 = severe, 51–100 = mild/moderate.
↵c Data are mean (SD) in hours between T1 and T2.