Speeded Anomia Treatment in Chronic Post-stroke Aphasia

Sponsor

University of Cambridge (Other)

Overall Status

Not yet recruiting

CT.gov ID

NCT05512884

Collaborator

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Other)

100

Enrollment

Arms

Anticipated Duration (Months)

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The main aim of the study is to investigate the effect of a novel, speeded anomia therapy (Conroy et al., 2018) in a large population of patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia. The treatment will be delivered via a web application (QuickWord).

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Aphasia	Behavioral: Speeded anomia therapy	N/A

Detailed Description

The main aim is to test the clinical efficacy of a novel, web based, rehabilitation approach to aphasic word-finding difficulties (QuickWord). In an initial development and case-series evaluation, Conroy et al (2018, Brain) found that training for both speed as well as accuracy of naming generated much better outcomes to picture naming accuracy and also augmented the carry-over to connected speech production.

This is a randomised, crossover, clinical trial of QuickWord in a group of aphasic patients in the chronic post-stroke period. The comparison will be standard care. The main outcome measures are clinically relevant improvement in naming to confrontation, and spontaneous use of the target vocabulary in a connected speech sample (detailed picture description). Secondary outcome includes measured use of the vocabulary in a story-telling, connected speech assessment (retelling of the Cinderella story).

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Anticipated Enrollment :

100 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Crossover Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Testing the Effect of Speeded Anomia Therapy in Patients With Chronic Post-stroke Aphasia: a Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial

Anticipated Study Start Date :

Sep 1, 2022

Anticipated Primary Completion Date :

Sep 1, 2023

Anticipated Study Completion Date :

Sep 1, 2023

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Speeded anomia therapy 21h of anomia therapy	Behavioral: Speeded anomia therapy The speeded anomia therapy was introduced as RISP (Repeated, Increasingly Speeded Production) by Conroy et al. (2018). Participants are asked to name the picture presented to them before an auditory stimulus ('beep' sound) at the end of item presentation. In each session the allotted response time is gradually reduced. After an incorrect response, participants are asked to repeat the word three times.
No Intervention: Standard care Participants' typical daily routine

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Speeded anomia therapy

21h of anomia therapy

Behavioral: Speeded anomia therapy

The speeded anomia therapy was introduced as RISP (Repeated, Increasingly Speeded Production) by Conroy et al. (2018). Participants are asked to name the picture presented to them before an auditory stimulus ('beep' sound) at the end of item presentation. In each session the allotted response time is gradually reduced. After an incorrect response, participants are asked to repeat the word three times.

No Intervention: Standard care

Participants' typical daily routine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Speeded anomia therapy effect in reaction time [Measured over 10 weeks (Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 10)]
Improvement in reaction time in single-item picture naming
Speeded anomia therapy effect in accuracy [Measured over 10 weeks (Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 10)]
Improvement in accuracy in single-item picture naming
Generalisation to connected speech [Measured over 10 weeks (Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 10)]
Improvement in word retrieval in composite picture description. Participants will be asked to describe composite pictures (from the "Where's Waldo/Wally?" publications).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Generalisation to story-telling connected speech [Measured over 10 weeks (Week 0, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 10)]
Improvement in narrative speech production. Participants will be asked to narrate the Cinderella story. A checklist with some of the most frequently used nouns (data obtained from AphasiaBank database) will be used.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

Native English speakers
Age 18 years or above
Stroke (any type) greater than 12 months post onset
No history of neurological disorders / psychiatric disorders
Normal or corrected-to-normal hearing & vision
Able to give informed consent
Currently not receiving Speech & Language therapy
Minimal repetition skills (>40% on an immediate word repetition test)
Evidence of naming difficulties (<90% in Boston Naming Test - Goodglass et al., 1983)