Allergies, asthma, and sleep problems in adults who stutter.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have suggested that allergies, asthma, and sleep problems are prevalent in those who stutter. This study analyzed similar data for a broad age group of adults who stutter (AWS). METHOD: Data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. Adults from 18 to 60 + years of age reported a) to have stuttered, b) to have had any allergy, asthma, or acid reflux, c) to have had insomnia/trouble sleeping and daytime negative consequences, and d) average sleeping hours per day in the past 12 months. RESULTS: The sample included 320 AWS and 33,043 controls. AWS were at greater odds of respiratory, food, and skin allergies (OR = 2.38, 2.36, and 2.09, respectively), as well as asthma and acid reflux (OR = 2.30 and 2.01, respectively) than controls. AWS were at greater odds of insomnia/trouble sleeping, oversleeping, excessive sleepiness, and fatigue than controls (OR = 2.11, 1.71, 2.67, and 1.81, respectively). The subgroup of AWS with no allergy, asthma, and acid reflux were also at greater odds of insomnia/trouble sleeping and excessive sleepiness than controls (OR = 2.13 and 3.11, respectively). Differences were found in specific age groups: younger/middle-aged AWS reported more allergies, asthma, and acid reflux than controls, while older AWS did not; younger/middle-aged AWS reported more insomnia/trouble sleeping than controls, while older AWS reported more oversleeping. CONCLUSIONS: Findings on younger and middle-aged AWS are similar to previous ones on children and adolescents who stutter. Differences regarding younger/middle-aged and older AWS could be consequence of environmental variables.

Risk of sleep problems in a clinical sample of children who stutter.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown increased prevalence of sleep problems among people who stutter. However, there is a lack of knowledge about what these sleep problems may specifically be. METHOD: Fifty children who stutter (CWS) from 6;0 to 12;9 years of age and 50 age- and gender-matched controls participated in this study. Parents did not report coexisting conditions, excepting stuttering and/or sleep problems. Sleep problems were investigated using a standardized questionnaire answered by parents. The questionnaire shows cut-off scores to identify the risk of sleep problems as a whole and on each one of the six subscales (i.e., disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep; sleep breathing disorders; disorders of arousal; sleep-wake transition disorders; disorders of excessive somnolence; and sleep hyperhidrosis). Scores above the cut-off are suggestive of sleep problems. RESULTS: Twenty-one CWS scored higher than the cut-off on the sleep questionnaire compared to only two controls (p < 0.00001). Specifically, CWS scored higher than controls in disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, sleep-wake transition disorders (especially jerking, sleep talking, and bruxism), and disorders of excessive somnolence (p < 0.0083, corrected for multiple comparisons). DISCUSSION: Compared to controls, CWS are at greater risk for sleep problems, which are not consequences of coexisting disorders. Present findings confirm and expand current knowledge about sleep problems in CWS. Directionality possibilities and clinical implications are discussed.

Attributes That Increase Vulnerabilities to Reduced Human Milk Feeding Outcomes Among Babies With Cleft Lip and Palate in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify infant and maternal factors associated with reduced human milk feeding among infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P). METHOD: Data collected on mothers and infants admitted to the NICU with CL ± P from the 2018 National Vital Statistics System were used for this study. Chi-square tests of independence and independent-samples t tests were used to compare categorical variables and continuous variables, respectively, among two groups of infants admitted to the NICU with CL ± P-those who did and did not receive human milk feeding at discharge. RESULTS: The sample included 660 infants admitted to the NICU with CL ± P, of which 353 received human milk at discharge. Significant differences were found between the two groups for marital status, mother's education, maternal smoking record, total number of prenatal visits, multiparity record, gestational age, birth weight, and use of assisted ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that, as a function of human milk feeding at discharge, mothers and their infants admitted to the NICU with CL ± P exhibited differences across infant and maternal factors. These findings further our understanding of this sample of mothers and infants with CL ± P while potentially identifying determinants to human milk feeding. This study provides insight into infant and maternal characteristics that may be associated with barriers to human milk feeding.

Can Velopharyngeal MRI be Used in Individuals with Orthodontic Devices?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of common pediatric orthodontic appliances on velopharyngeal (VP) MRI and to compare MR image sequences to determine if sequence parameters impact the visibility of key VP structures commonly assessed in clinical VP MRI. DESIGN: Participants undergoing orthodontic treatment completed a VP MRI study. Level of distortion caused by orthodontic devices on 8 anatomical sites of interest and using variable MRI sequences was evaluated. SETTING: Single institution. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen participants undergoing orthodontic treatment. MAIN OUTCOME: Level of distortion caused by metal artifacts and MR sequence used. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrate that appliances such as hyrax palatal expanders and braces with stainless steel brackets are acceptable for a VP MRI, while class II corrector springs are not recommended. The HASTE MRI sequence with 2D imaging techniques should be utilized if the child has orthodontic devices, while FSE and 3D imaging techniques are not recommended. The presence of wire spring coils and molar bands are likely to not to interfere with the MRI evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study suggest that the presence of orthodontic appliances does not hinder visualization of all velopharyngeal structures during an MRI. Therefore, careful consideration must be made prior to disqualifying or recommending patients for VP MRI.

Reactions and responses to anticipation of stuttering and how they contribute to stuttered speech that listeners perceive as fluent - An opinion paper.

The experience of stuttering is wide ranging and includes a variety of perceived and unperceived behaviors and experiences. One of those experiences is anticipation of stuttering. While anticipation of stuttering is commonly discussed in terms of being a prediction of an upcoming event, it has also been equated to an internal realization of stuttering - which is the conceptualization applied here. The aim of this paper is to impress upon the reader that anticipated moments of stuttering (whether at a conscious or subconscious level) must be met with an adaptive reaction or response (which may also occur consciously or subconsciously). While these adaptive reactions and responses may differ based on whether they promote positive or negative communicative behaviors, they still represent adaptations by the speaker. Among the broad category of reactions and responses to anticipation of stuttering are motoric adaptations to speech, which include characteristic stuttering behaviors and other adaptations that may contribute to speech that is perceived by listeners as fluent. An outcome of this conceptualization is, even when adaptations result in listener perceived fluency, the speech of the person who stutters is still controlled by stuttering - meaning that some observable or unobservable adaptation is required. It is critical that speech-language pathologists recognize that the behaviors of people who stutter may reflect reactions and responses to an internal realization of stuttering and observable and unobservable reactions and responses must be considered in both assessments and interventions.

Impact of Prenatal Care on Newborn Complications for Infants with Cleft Lip with or Without Cleft Palate.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between prenatal care and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) and examine differences in newborn complications among infants diagnosed with CL ± P as a function of prenatal care. DESIGN: Population-based retrospective cohort study. SETTING: 2018 United States National Vital Statistics System-Natality component (NVSS-N) was used to examine nationwide birth certificate data. PARTICIPANTS: 3,414,338 infants from the 2018 National Vital Statistics System, of which 1,699 had CL ± P. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Diagnosis of CL ± P and presence of newborn complications as a function of prenatal care. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among various infant- and mother-specific variables when baseline comparisons were made between infants with and without CL ± P. After controlling for baseline differences, results indicated decreased odds of a diagnosis of CL ± P in cases where overall adequate prenatal care was obtained (OR = .841; 95% CI .757, .934), including prenatal care beginning in the 1st trimester (OR = .839; 95% CI .750, .939) and an adequate number of prenatal visits received (OR = .864; 95% CI .764, .976). Of infants with CL ± P, reduced odds of the infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (OR = .777; 95% CI .613, .985) or transferred (OR = .601; 95% CI .407, .888) were apparent when adequate prenatal care was received. CONCLUSION: Results suggest adequate prenatal care not only reduces the likelihood of CL ± P in infants but may also decrease the severity of negative outcomes in infants diagnosed with CL ± P. These findings emphasize necessity for adequate prenatal care.

Early Nutrition among Infants Admitted to the NICU with Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine differences in human milk feeding outcomes among infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with and without cleft lip and palate (CLP). METHOD: Data were used from a sample of infants admitted to the NICU with and without CLP from the 2018 National Vital Statistics System. For baseline comparisons, Chi-square tests of independence were used to compare categorical variables, and independent samples t tests were used for continuous variables. Logistic regression models were performed to determine the odds of human milk feeding at discharge in infants admitted to the NICU with CLP. RESULTS: The total sample included 345,429 infants admitted to the NICU, of which 660 had CLP. Significant differences were found among the following variables when baseline comparisons were made between infants admitted to the NICU with and without CLP: mother's race, mother's education, maternal smoking record, childbirth delivery method, presence of maternal pre-pregnancy diabetes, five-minute APGAR score, multiparity record (having more than one baby at birth), gestational age, and gestational weight. After controlling for baseline differences, results indicated reduced odds of human milk feeding at discharge in infants admitted to the NICU with CLP compared to those without CLP (OR = .543; 95% CI.455,.648). CONCLUSION: Results suggest reduced odds of human milk feeding at discharge among infants admitted to the NICU with CLP compared to those without CLP. These findings emphasize the necessity of awareness and facilitation of human milk feeding in this population.

Marginal assessment of the cost and benefits of aphasia treatment: Evidence from community-based telerehabilitation treatment for aphasia.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have reported information related to the cost-effectiveness of traditional face-to-face treatments for aphasia. The emergence and demand for telepractice approaches to aphasia treatment has resulted in an urgent need to understand the costs and cost-benefits of this approach. METHODS: Eighteen stroke survivors with aphasia completed community-based aphasia telerehabilitation treatment, utilizing the Language-Oriented Treatment (LOT) delivered via Webex videoconferencing program. Marginal benefits to treatment were calculated as the change in Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) score pre- and post-treatment and marginal cost of treatment was calculated as the relationship between change in WAB-R aphasia quotient (AQ) and the average cost per treatment. Controlling for demographic variables, Bayesian estimation evaluated the primary contributors to WAB-R change and assessed cost-effectiveness of treatment by aphasia type. RESULTS: Thirteen out of 18 participants experienced significant improvement in WAB-R AQ following telerehabilitation delivered therapy. Compared to anomic aphasia (reference group), those with conduction aphasia had relatively similar levels of improvement whereas those with Broca's aphasia had smaller improvement. Those with global aphasia had the largest improvement. Each one-point of improvement cost between US$89 and US$864 for those who improved (mean = US$200) depending on aphasia type/severity. DISCUSSION: Individuals with severe aphasia may have the greatest gains per unit cost from treatment. Both improvement magnitude and the cost per unit of improvement were driven by aphasia type, severity and race. Economies of scale to aphasia treatment-cost may be minimized by treating a variety of types of aphasia at various levels of severity.

Impact of Insurance Status on Initiation of Breast Milk Feeding Among Infants With CL ± P.

To evaluate rates of breast milk feeding among infants with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) enrolled in Medicaid compared to Private Insurance/Self-Pay.This was a population-based retrospective cohort study.The 2018 US National Vital Statistics System-Natality component (NVSS-N) was used to examine nationwide birth certificate data.Infants with cleft lip with or without cleft palate and either Medicaid or Private Insurance/Self-Pay were included.Breast milk feeding rates among infants with CL ± P, as a function of insurance status.Chi-square tests of independence revealed that of 896 infants with CL ± P and insured by Medicaid, 527 (58.8%) were breast milk fed at discharge. Of 865 infants with CL ± P and insured by Private Insurance/Self-Pay, 621 (71.8%) were breast milk fed at discharge. Using logistic regression models and controlling for baseline demographic differences, results indicated that infants with CL ± P in the Medicaid group had reduced odds of breast milk feeding compared to the Private Insurance/Self-Pay group (OR = 0.08; 95% CI 0.56, 0.96).Breast milk support services are often necessary for the initiation of breast milk feeding among infants with CL ± P. However, these resources are likely not as readily available for those enrolled in Medicaid. These results suggest that infants with CL ± P, enrolled in Medicaid, may experience reduced breast milk feeding rates due to limited resources to initiate breast milk feeding. Factors that may promote breast milk feeding among this population are discussed.

Speech Therapy and Earnings: Economic Benefits for Individuals Who Stutter.

Stuttering is a complex communication disorder with effects that extend beyond difficulty with communication. Negative thoughts and feelings by the person who stutters (PWS), about the disorder or themselves, may potentially lead to detrimental avoidance behaviors which may ultimately alter life choices and participation in life events. One such area is the labor market. Studies have revealed an association between stuttering and reduced earnings. What is not understood is whether provision of speech therapy for PWS can help mitigate the negative labor market impacts of this condition. This article discusses the disorder of stuttering and how approach versus avoidance responses can contribute to wage differentials among PWS, while also providing evidence of such differences using a nationally representative dataset. Additionally, this article outlines the potential benefits received from speech-language pathology services which may correlate with improved labor market outcomes.

Disparities in Comorbidities in Lung Cancer: Findings From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: In persons with lung cancer, sex and race are independent predictors of comorbidities and are associated survival. It is unclear how comorbidity profiles differ across sex and race. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine comorbidity differences between men and women and Blacks and Whites. METHODS: Data from the 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ2 test of independence, and multiple logistic regression. Variables included sociodemographics and comorbidities. RESULTS: Among individuals with lung cancer (N = 594), men were more likely to experience a heart attack (odds ratio [OR], 3.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-7.96) and diabetes (OR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.57-5.10) and less likely to experience depressive disorder (OR, 0.360; 95% CI, 0203-0.637). Black men (OR, 28.57; 95% CI, 9.22-88.55) and women (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.02-6.05) were more likely to have a history of stroke. CONCLUSION: Findings show that there may be differences in patterns of comorbidities among individuals with lung cancer. As we continue to move toward individualized medicine in cancer care, future work in this area should examine social determinants of health and how they may influence the patterns of comorbidities. IMPLICATION FOR NURSES: Although nurses may be aware that certain groups have an increased risk for certain comorbid conditions, this study highlights what groups with lung cancer may be more likely to have certain comorbidities. Nurses can assess individuals for comorbidities and provide education on how to manage comorbidities during cancer treatment.

Sleep duration, insomnia, and stuttering: The relationship in adolescents and young adults.

PURPOSE: Evidence of a linkage between neurodevelopmental stuttering and sleep difficulties has been suggested in studies involving children and adolescents. To further examine the relationship between stuttering and sleep, the current study explored both hours of sleep and insomnia in a longitudinal sample of adolescents and young adults living with stuttering. METHOD: The data for this study came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative survey study following 13,564 US respondents over the course of 20 years. In each of the five survey waves, respondents noted their average hours of sleep. In addition, Wave IV, respondents indicated whether they suffered from insomnia (i.e., difficulty falling or staying asleep). Respondents who indicated stuttering at ages 18-26 (Wave III) and 24-32 (Wave IV) are considered as those with persistent stuttering-the focus of this analysis. Regression analysis assessed the association between stuttering, hours of sleep and insomnia controlling for sex, age, race, education and other demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The sample included 261 participants (1.7% of total respondents) who identified themselves as people who stutter, comprised of 169 males and 92 females. Compared to their fluent counterparts, individuals who stutter reported to sleep, on average, 20 min less per night. Additionally, 15% of those who stutter reported difficulties falling or staying asleep almost every day or every day, which is twice as likely as controls. Results were robust to demographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Speech-language pathologists should be aware of the association between stuttering and insomnia, as well as the lower average hours of sleep among adolescents and young adults who stutter. The possibility that lower sleep duration and insomnia may affect stuttering daily variability and impair improvement from stuttering are discussed.

Telepractice Treatment for Aphasia: Association Between Clinical Outcomes and Client Satisfaction.

Introduction: Health services research has demonstrated the association between patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes illustrating the importance of satisfaction in determining favorable treatment outcomes. Despite abundant evidence in the acute care setting, few researchers have explored these associations among patients receiving speech rehabilitation or therapeutic treatment particularly those receiving treatment through nontraditional delivery methods. Objective: To examine the satisfaction with a community-based telepractice approach for treating aphasia among stroke survivors who reside in rural areas and assess potential correlations between satisfaction and patient outcomes. Methods: In total, 22 adults with poststroke aphasia who resided in rural areas received comprehensive language-oriented treatment (LOT) for aphasia through community-based telepractice. Post-treatment satisfaction with the telepractice approach was assessed using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8). Results: After 12 sessions of LOT, Western Aphasia Battery-revised (WAB-R) aphasia quotients (AQs) improved on average 4.64 U. Mean scores on the CSQ-8 averaged 31.0/32.0, indicating a high level of satisfaction with the telepractice approach. In addition, each 1 U of improvement in patient satisfaction was associated with a 1.75 U increase in the WAB-R AQ. Conclusions: Examination of post-treatment satisfaction indicated that satisfaction was highly predictive of effectiveness-a one-point increase in satisfaction was associated with a nearly two-point increase in WAB-R AQ. Results echo findings from acute care studies underscoring the importance of the patient experience in treatment efficacy.

Relationships between stuttering, depression, and suicidal ideation in young adults: Accounting for gender differences.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and living with stuttering while accounting for time, sex, and health-related confounders. METHOD: The data for this study come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative survey study that has followed 13,564 respondents over the course of 14 years. Responses to the question "Do you have a problem with stuttering or stammering?" at two time points were used to establish stuttering and non-stuttering groups. Regression analysis, propensity score matching, and structural equation modeling were used. RESULTS: Compared to their fluent counterparts, males and females reported significantly elevated symptoms of depression. Although symptoms of depression among males who stutter were stable over time, depressive symptoms among females who stutter increased with age. Compared to males who do not stutter, males who stutter were significantly more likely to report feelings of suicidal ideation. There were no differences in suicidal ideation between females who do and do not stutter. CONCLUSIONS: Speech-language pathologists should be aware of the associations between stuttering and depressive symptoms, as well as the increased risk for suicidal ideation among males who stutter. Clinicians should be knowledgeable about symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation and be familiar with processes to refer as needed.

Behavioral, social, and emotional well-being in children who stutter: the influence of race-ethnicity.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if reports of behavioral, emotional and social well-being in children who stutter differ across racial-ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using 2010-2015 National Health Interview Surveys, data was analyzed from responses of children who stutter's parents, in the United States, to items of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parent responses of reporting Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire items were determined using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: This sample included a total 42,962 children, of which 875 were identified as children who stutter. Among the children who stutter, reports of well-being were compared from 294 non-Hispanic White, 249 non-Hispanic Black, and 332 Hispanic children who stutter. Results indicated Black children who stutter were less likely than White children who stutter to have many worries, to be unhappy/depressed, and less likely to have difficulties with emotions and concentration. Hispanic children who stutter were less likely than White children who stutter to have many worries, to be unhappy/depressed, and less likely to have difficulties with emotions and concentration. Additionally, differences were observed in measures of behavioral, emotional, and social well-being when within-group comparisons were made, as a function of gender, and when comparisons were made across racial-ethnic groups at different age ranges. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from National Health Interview Surveys suggests racial-ethnic differences exist in reports of behavioral, emotional, and social well-being among children who stutter. Future research is needed to clarify specific contributors to the observed differences across racial-ethnic groups and whether differences are primarily associated with race-ethnicity, the presence of stuttering, or both.

Quantifying Experiences with Telepractice for Aphasia Therapy: A Text Mining Analysis of Client Response Data.

Measures of satisfaction following treatment for aphasia have been limited. The challenge associated with reduced verbal output among many persons with aphasia (PWA) has reportedly been a key reason measures of treatment satisfaction have been limited. A novel approach to measure treatment satisfaction is the use of content analysis (CA), which uses the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts to explore outcomes such as treatment satisfaction particularly among individuals who generate limited output. CA utilizes responses and response patterns to assign meaning to client responses. The aim of this study was to use CA to measure posttreatment satisfaction with a telepractice approach for aphasia treatment. Seventeen PWA received 12 treatment sessions over a 6-week period. At the conclusion of the treatment, CA was utilized to explore patient satisfaction with this treatment approach. The participants reported an overall positive sentiment for the telepractice approach. Two primary topics emerged which were healthcare provider and healthcare delivery, where text analysis revealed discussion of these topics to be centered around being "helpful" and "being effective." This study demonstrated that CA can be an effective approach for determining satisfaction with aphasia treatment particularly among PWA with limited verbal abilities.

Relative contributions to overall impact of stuttering in adults using the overall assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES).

PURPOSE: Comprehensive assessment of stuttering requires consideration of a wide range of behaviors that impact outcomes, and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES) is an assessment tool that accomplishes such. The purpose of this study was to determine how the individual components of the test contribute to the OASES' impact score. METHOD: Data collected at a university speech-language and hearing clinic from 29 adults were used for a relative weight analysis (RWA). RWA was utilized to determine the relative contributions of the OASES' subtests to the OASES' impact score. Confidence intervals for the individual relative weights were calculated for each OASES subtest and significance tests based on bootstrapping with 10,000 replications. RESULTS: Differences were present in contributions of the OASES' subtests to the OASES' overall impact score, where the following explained a significant amount of variance in the OASES' impact score: Speaker's Reactions; Daily Communication; and Quality of Life. However, contribution of the subtest, "General Information", was not significant. CONCLUSION: Through examination of relative contributions to the impact of stuttering using the OASES, this project has identified differences in contributors to the overall impact of the disorder of stuttering. This information is beneficial to researchers and clinicians alike in that it gives specific guidance into what determines increased impact in adults who stutter (AWS). Future works should pursue clarification of these differences with an end goal of identifying and overcoming barriers to positive outcomes while also identifying and nurturing facilitators to optimal management.

Sleep problems in children who stutter: Evidence from population data.

Purpose Previous research has identified seizures, intellectual disability, learning disability, pervasive developmental disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as coexisting disabilities frequently seen in children who stutter (CWS). The observation that those conditions are affected by sleep has incited the present study, which aimed to explore if sleep problems are also more frequent in CWS. Method Data was obtained from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Children included in the analysis were those whose caregivers answered definitively whether or not the sample child stuttered in the last 12 months and whose caregivers definitively answered questions regarding insomnia or trouble sleeping, sleepiness during the day, and fatigue during the day in the last 12 months. This sample included 203 CWS and 10,005 children who do not stutter (CWNS). Results CWS were at greater odds of presenting insomnia or trouble sleeping (OR = 3.72, p < .001), sleepiness during the day (OR = 2.20, p < .001), and fatigue during the day (OR = 2.87, p < .001) when compared to CWNS. Moreover, CWS with coexisting disabilities were at greater odds of presenting with sleep problems when compared to CWS without coexisting disabilities. Finally, CWS without coexisting disabilities were at greater odds of presenting insomnia when compared to CWNS without coexisting disabilities. Conclusion CWS are at risk for presenting with sleep problems. Additionally, sleep problems persist from early childhood to adolescence. The implications of these findings are unclear, though future studies should look to explore the impact of sleep problems on stuttering.

Gender differences in aphasia outcomes: evidence from the AphasiaBank.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Aphasia is a language impairment which results as a consequence of stroke. Gender differences are reported in underlying mechanisms of stroke, however, gender differences in aphasia type and severity remain unclear. AIMS: To examine gender differences in aphasia impairment based on data from AphasiaBank, a research repository of data obtained from studies of aphasia. METHODS & PROCEDURES: The data were collected from AphasiaBank for 294 persons with aphasia (PWA) (172 men, 122 women). Baseline comparisons by gender groups were completed using independent samples t-tests and Pearson Chi square statistics. Univariate comparisons of the total Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) -AQ and -R subtests' scores were compared between the two groups using independent samples t-tests. Multivariate comparisons were completed by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Gender differences were observed in the severity of aphasia with men exhibiting more severe aphasia than women. Analyses of WAB-R indicated greater impairment among men based on AQ and greater impairment was observed in individual subtest performance. Men exhibited statistically significantly lower WAB-R AQs than women (67.4 versus 75.6). Lower WAB-R AQs were derived from lower scores among men on individual subtests; information content, fluency, repetition, sentence completion, responsive speech and tests of comprehension (yes/no, auditory word recognition and sequential commands). CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: This study offers evidence of gender differences in aphasia severity, global communication impairment and lower scores on individual subtests used to derive the WAB-R AQ. The limitations of the study with suggestions for future directions are presented.