NEW DELHI: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi and Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), have developed the first Hindi version of Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) for stroke survivors with speech difficulties.The music-based treatment is designed for people affected by post-stroke aphasia, a condition in which patients may understand language but face difficulty speaking fluently. The pilot study conducted by the research team has been published in the international journal Aphasiology.Hindi adaptation of speech therapy approachMelodic Intonation Therapy uses melody and rhythm to help rebuild speech abilities by using the connection between music and language functions in the brain. The therapy has been used in several Western languages, but a validated Hindi version was not available before this research.The researchers adapted MIT for Hindi by modifying the words, melodies and rhythmic patterns to match the language’s natural stress patterns and cadence. The team worked on developing exercises that corresponded with the way Hindi speakers communicate in daily life.Hindi is spoken by hundreds of millions of people, and the researchers noted that many existing aphasia therapy resources in India are based on English-language approaches, which may not reflect the linguistic patterns of Hindi speakers.Pilot study involving stroke survivorsThe pilot study involved six Hindi-speaking stroke survivors who underwent 40 therapy sessions each. Each session lasted between 45 and 60 minutes and was conducted by a trained speech therapist.All participants completed the therapy programme and showed improvements that crossed the threshold considered clinically meaningful by doctors. The researchers reported improvements in sentence formation, speech fluency and quality of life measures.“Patients were able to string together longer sentences, spoke more freely, and reported gains in their quality of life. There were no adverse effects,” Prof. Rahul Garg, one of the researchers leading the study, said.Researchers highlight need for further studiesThe research team has stated that the findings are preliminary due to the small number of participants involved in the pilot study. Further studies with larger groups will be required to evaluate the effectiveness of the Hindi MIT approach.“With only six patients, the results should be seen as a strong preliminary signal rather than final proof. The team is also exploring digital tools so that the therapy can eventually reach patients well beyond specialist hospitals,” Prof. N.M. Anoop Krishnan, another researcher leading the study, said.Interdisciplinary collaboration behind researchThe study was led by Prof. N.M. Anoop Krishnan and Prof. Rahul Garg from IIT Delhi, along with Prof. Deepti Vibha from AIIMS New Delhi. Dushyant Soni, a PhD scholar at IIT Delhi’s National Resource Centre for Value Education in Engineering (NRCVEE), and Rupanshi Ahuja, project staff at IIT Delhi, were joint first authors.The research team also included specialists from AIIMS New Delhi and IHBAS, including speech therapy experts, neurologists and ENT specialists. The collaboration combined expertise from engineering, medicine and rehabilitation sciences.The study, titled “Hindi Adaptation of Melodic Intonation Therapy for Post-stroke Aphasia: A Pilot Feasibility Study”, has been published in Aphasiology.