Dosage and Predictors of Naming Treatment Response in Aphasia

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Aphasia, Stroke

In brief

This study examines aphasia treatment response among Veterans and non-Veterans living with aphasia. It seeks to identify cognitive and neural factors which are predictive of positive response to treatment targeting naming impairments in aphasia. It also examines the dose-response relationship for naming treatment. More broadly, it seeks to determine who aphasia therapy works best for, and how much aphasia therapy is sufficient to achieve positive treatment response.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT02005016
Run by: VA Office of Research and Development
People needed: 46
Starts: 2013-10-01
Expected to finish: 2018-09-30
Last updated by the study team: 2019-11-04

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 85. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

All study participants will be community-dwelling adults with aphasia.
Both Veterans and non-Veterans who are able to arrange daily transportation to and from the campus of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), and who do not require housing, may be eligible to be study participants.
In addition, Veterans who are accepted into the Program for Intensive Residential Aphasia Treatment and Education (PIRATE) of VAPHS may be eligible to participate.
PIRATE participants are Veterans who are referred nationally to VAPHS.
Aphasia diagnosis is provided by the referring medical provider, based on performance on standardized aphasia-assessment measures, and will be verified by PIRATE staff prior to enrollment. Diagnosis will be based on clinical impression and performance on the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT).
Study participants must also meet the following inclusion criteria:
18 years of age or older
Eligible for participation in the standard PIRATE program
Aphasia due to unilateral left hemisphere stroke equal to or more than 6 months post onset
Overall CAT mean language modality t-score of less than or equal to 70
CAT naming modality t-score greater than or equal to 40
No progressive neurological disease or prior central nervous system injury/disorder
No severe motor speech disorders (apraxia and/or dysarthria)
Learned English as a first language
Investigators able to construct lists of sufficient treatment targets and generalization probes based on performance on naming assessments

You may not qualify if…

Since all study candidates must be present on the VAPHS campus for treatment, and must undergo intensive speech-language therapy (up to 5 hours per day for 4 weeks), the following exclusionary criteria apply to all participants:
Inability to carry out activities of daily living necessary for self-care during the time they are present on the VAPHS campus
Lack of physical independence which would interfere with their ability to be present on the VAPHS campus
History of progressive neurological disease
History of drug or alcohol dependence that is not currently stable/medically managed
Inability to tolerate intensive treatment as determined by previous therapy experiences and tolerance of the intensive initial evaluation (2 days of testing)
In addition, participants who are enrolling in the study through the PIRATE program have the following exclusion criteria apply:
Inability to carry out activities of daily living necessary for self-care as determined by an occupational therapy assessment prior to program entry
Lack of physical independence
History of significant mood or behavioral disorder that is not currently stable/medically managed
History of progressive neurological disease
History of drug or alcohol dependence that is not currently stable/medically managed
Inability to tolerate intensive treatment as determined by previous therapy experiences and tolerance of the intensive initial evaluation (2 days of testing)
Medical conditions which would preclude independent living as determined by the medical assessment provided by a VAPHS physician prior to program entry

Where it is running

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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