Modeling Treated Recovery From Aphasia

University of South Carolina

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aphasia, Conduction; Aphasia, Expressive; Aphasia, Anomic; Aphasia, Fluent; Stroke; Aphasia, Jargon; Aphasia, Global; Aphasia, Mixed; Stroke, Ischemic; Aphasia; Aphasia, Broca

Treatments: Behavioral: Phonologically focused treatment; Behavioral: Semantically focused treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03416738

Pro00053559

P50DC014664 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States, and aphasia is common following a stroke to the left hemisphere of the brain. Aphasia therapy can improve aphasia recover; however, very little is known about how different patients respond to different types of treatments.

The purpose of this study is to understand how the following factors influence an individual's response to aphasia treatment: 1) biographical factors (e.g., age, education, gender), 2) post-stroke cognitive/linguistic abilities and learning potential, and 3) the location and extent of post-stroke brain damage. We are also interested in understanding the kinds of treatment materials that should be emphasized in speech/language treatment.

Overall, the goal of the current research is to inform the clinical management of post-stroke aphasia by identifying factors that can predict how an individual will respond to different treatment methods.

Enrollment: 127 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Experienced a left hemisphere ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke At least 12 months post-stroke
• Primarily English speaker for the past 20 years
• Ability to provide informed written or verbal consent MRI-compatible (e.g., no metal implants, not claustrophobic)

Exclusion criteria

• History of a right hemisphere stroke (Bilateral stroke)
• Clinically reported history of dementia, alcohol abuse, psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury, or extensive visual acuity or visual-spatial problems
• Severely limited speech production and/or auditory comprehension that interferes with adequate participation in the therapy provided

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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127 participants in 2 patient groups

Semantically focused treatment

Active Comparator group

Description:

This treatment will focus on improving word finding and comprehension of information.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Semantically focused treatment

Phonologically focused treatment

Active Comparator group

Description:

This treatment will focus on training speech sound production, targeting overall production abilities.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Phonologically focused treatment