Cognitive Therapy to Improve Word Finding

Georgetown University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebrovascular Accident; Traumatic Brain Injury; Anomia; Aphasia

Treatments: Procedure: Errorful training condition; Procedure: Errorless training condition

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00494520

R01DC006934-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Adults who sustain brain damage due to stroke, traumatic injury or surgery may develop difficulty finding words. This study compares the effectiveness of two behavior-based programs to improve picture naming ability in these individuals.

Full description

Difficulty finding words is common in patients with aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere stroke. This study will compare two cognitive therapies for the treatment of acquired word finding difficulties. The therapies use different types of cues. All participants will receive both therapies. Participants in this study will undergo a comprehensive and detailed assessment of language and other cognitive skills. The two treatments will be compared for their efficacy.

Enrollment: 78 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Word finding difficulty subsequent to stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery or other brain damage occuring at least 6 month prior to participation
• Ability to attend 2 sessions per week for several months at Georgetown University in Washington, DC

Exclusion criteria

• History of learning disabilities
• Best corrected vision less than 20/40
• Corrected hearing within functional limits
• Less than 10 years formal education
• Significant memory or comprehension problems

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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78 participants in 2 patient groups

Errorful training condition

Experimental group

Description:

A type of anomia rehabilitation paradigm which allows for errors. The intervention involves providing minimal auditory cues to allow for errors in picture naming.

Treatment:

Procedure: Errorful training condition

Errorless training condition

Experimental group

Description:

A type of anomia rehabilitation paradigm in which the situation surrounding the performance of the desired task (i.e., picture naming) is controlled to prevent errors. The intervention involves providing maximal auditory cues to prevent errors in picture naming.

Treatment:

Procedure: Errorless training condition