Treatments of Acquired Apraxia of Speech

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke; Apraxia of Speech; Aphasia

Treatments: Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Blocked; Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Random

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01483807

C7419-R

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study was designed to examine the effects of speech therapy on ability to produce speech sounds in persons with acquired apraxia of speech.

Full description

This study was designed to investigate the effects of Sound Production Treatment (SPT; a treatment for acquired apraxia of speech) on sound production accuracy in persons with chronic apraxia of speech (AOS). Organization of practice (blocked practice or randomized practice) will be manipulated in an effort to determine the most efficacious application of SPT. A combination of group and single-subject experimental designs wasl be completed with 20 speakers with AOS (2 groups of 10 participants).

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Must have acquired apraxia of speech that occurred following a stroke or other brain injury.
• Must be at least 6 months post-onset of brain injury.
• May have aphasia.

Exclusion criteria

• History of drug or alcohol abuse.
• History of mental illness.
• Neurological condition other than that which resulted in apraxia of speech.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

SPT-B then SPT-R

Experimental group

Description:

Participants first received Sound Production Treatment - Blocked (SPT-B) for 20 treatment sessions spanning approximately 7 weeks. After a washout period of 2 weeks, they then received Sound Production Treatment - Random (SPT-R) for 20 treatment sessions. Follow-up measures were conducted at 2, 6, and 10 weeks following the end of all treatment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Random

Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Blocked

SPT-R then SPT-B

Experimental group

Description:

Participants first received Sound Production Treatment - Random (SPT-R) for 20 treatment sessions spanning approximately 7 weeks. After a washout period of 2 weeks, they then received Sound Production Treatment - Blocked (SPT-B) for 20 treatment sessions. Follow-up measures were conducted at 2, 6, and 10 weeks following the end of all treatment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Random

Behavioral: Sound Production Treatment - Blocked