Conversation Group Treatment for Aphasia: Does it Work?

Running, not enrolling · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Aphasia, Acquired

In brief

The proposed research will test the efficacy of group conversation treatment for people with aphasia and explore whether the effects of treatment differ as a result of the following factors: 1. Group size: Do large groups of 6-8 people with aphasia or dyads of 2 people with aphasia demonstrate different levels of improvement with this treatment? 2. Group composition: Do effects of conversation group treatment differ if the groups include members with similar or different types of aphasia? 3. Aphasia severity: Do effects of conversation group treatment differ if the individuals within the group have mild-moderate or moderate-severe profiles of aphasia? Treatment sessions will occur in groups of 6-8 people with aphasia or with 2 people with aphasia. During treatment sessions, discourse will be facilitated on a focused set of every day topics, such as current events or travel. Linguistic and multi modal cueing hierarchies will be tailored to individual client goals and used to maximize communication success. The prediction is that conversation treatment is an effective method for improving communication in people with aphasia, but that specific benefits may differ based on variables such as group size, group composition, and aphasia severity. The results will help inform best practices for aphasia treatment and refine a hypothesized model about the mechanisms underlying conversation treatment.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05113160

Run by

Boston University Charles River Campus

People needed

162

Starts

2022-04-15

Expected to finish

2026-04-30

Last updated by the study team

2025-02-06

Who can join

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

You may qualify if…

• Clinical diagnosis of aphasia
• At least 6 months post-onset of stroke in the language-dominant hemisphere.
• Native English speakers
• Demonstrate sufficient auditory comprehension skills to participate in a supported conversation, based on results of standardized aphasia tests
• Exclusion
• No history of neurological disease (other than stroke)
• No history of developmental speech, language, or learning disabilities
• No current serious medical illness (e.g., cancer)
• Participants will be asked to abstain from concurrent speech language treatment.
• Separate criteria for Treatment Cycles 1, 2, and 3 based on aphasia severity:
• Cycle 1 Severity-based Inclusion Criteria (Completed 2022):
• - All aphasia profiles and severity levels.
• Cycle 2 Severity-based Inclusion Criteria (Completed 2023):
• - Participants with severe aphasia
• Cycle 3 Severity-based Inclusion Criteria (Completed 2024):
• - Participants with mild-moderate aphasia.

Where it is running

• Boston University - Charles River Campus — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Adler Aphasia Center — Maywood, New Jersey, United States
• Temple University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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