Aphasia Therapy: Factors of Efficacy

University of Leipzig

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aphasia

Treatments: Other: communication treatment group (CTG); Other: Control group; Other: CIAT-group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02804412

NRZ-CIAT

Details and patient eligibility

About

Constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) has proven effective in stroke patients. It has remained unclear, however, whether intensity of therapy or constraint is the relevant factor. This study will give an answer to this question to improve speech and language therapy.

Full description

Although there is clear evidence that aphasia therapy is effective, questions remain as to the intensity of administered therapy, the preferred therapeutic approach and its initiation with regard to stroke onset. CIAT is a a high intense group therapy administered over 2 weeks. Additionally, patients have to communicate solely in spoken words or sentences (constraint). This study compares CIAT with an approach of the same intensity without constraints and a less intense house-typical therapeutic approach.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 39 to 89 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• first ever stroke
• suffering from aphasia

Exclusion criteria

• severe cognitive or attentional impairments
• severe depression
• left-handedness
• severe dysarthria
• apraxia of speech
• severe deafness
• additional neurological diseases affecting speech (e.g. Parkinson's disease)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 3 patient groups

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients received a standard, house-typical aphasia therapy in single and group therapy sessions

Treatment:

Other: Control group

CIAT-group

Experimental group

Description:

Patients received constraint-induced aphasia therapy.

Treatment:

Other: CIAT-group

communication treatment group (CTG)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients received aphasia group therapy without constraints

Treatment:

Other: communication treatment group (CTG)