Anomia Treatment for Aphasia

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo

Disqualifiers: Dementia, Chronic illness, Severe impairment, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 20

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests two treatments for individuals with aphasia who experience anomia, or difficulty finding words. The goal is to determine which treatment is more effective for different individuals. Participants will engage in both the Phonomotor Treatment, which focuses on practicing sounds, and Phonological Components Analysis, which involves breaking down the sounds in words. Ideal participants have had aphasia for over six months, struggle with word-finding, but can follow instructions. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to innovative research that could enhance treatment options for aphasia.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

In a previous study, Phonomotor Treatment (PMT) improved speech in people with aphasia. This treatment aids in naming words and has been tested for enhancing reading skills. No major safety concerns emerged.

Research has shown that Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) is another effective option. It helps patients recognize word sounds and find words more easily. Studies indicate it is well-tolerated without serious side effects.

Both treatments have been used in speech therapy with positive results and minimal risks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about these treatments for anomia in aphasia because they offer innovative approaches that focus on sound processing. Phonomotor Treatment (PMT) is unique because it uses a multimodal approach to train sound sequences, engaging participants through listening, producing, visualizing, and describing sounds, which can enhance the brain's ability to process language. On the other hand, Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) encourages participants to analyze and identify phonological features of words, like their sounds and syllables, which can improve word retrieval skills. Unlike traditional speech therapy methods that might rely heavily on repetition and memorization, these treatments aim to reshape how the brain processes auditory information, potentially leading to more effective language recovery.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for aphasia?

This trial will compare two treatments for anomia in individuals with aphasia: Phonomotor Treatment (PMT) and Phonological Components Analysis (PCA). Research has shown that both PMT and PCA effectively assist people with anomia, a condition where naming objects is difficult. Participants will receive either PMT, which improves naming accuracy by focusing on word sounds and can enhance overall language skills and reading, or PCA, which helps recognize sounds in words, improving the ability to name both familiar and new items. Both treatments have successfully aided individuals with aphasia, a language disorder, in improving their ability to name and describe objects. The choice between PMT and PCA may depend on individual needs and response to each treatment. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Nichol Castro, PhD

Principal Investigator

SUNY at Buffalo

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with chronic aphasia and anomia for over 6 months, who can follow spoken instructions and have phonologic impairments. It's not suitable for those with progressive neurological diseases, chronic medical conditions affecting participation, or severe vision/hearing issues that hinder task completion.

Inclusion Criteria

Chronic aphasia (6+ months)

Anomia

Sufficient auditory comprehension to follow task instructions

Exclusion Criteria

Chronic medical illness that interferes with adherence to testing schedule

I have severe vision or hearing problems that affect my daily tasks.

I have a speech disorder that makes it hard for me to complete tasks.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Phonomotor Treatment

Participants receive Phonomotor Treatment to improve anomia by training the sound sequences of words. This includes listening, producing, visualizing, and describing sounds and sound sequences.

5-7 weeks

10-15 sessions, twice a week

Interim Period

A period of no treatment between the first and second treatment blocks.

2-4 weeks

Phonological Components Analysis

Participants receive Phonological Components Analysis treatment to improve anomia by identifying phonological features of words.

5-7 weeks

10-15 sessions, twice a week

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Anomia Treatment

Trial Overview The study aims to find out which patients benefit more from two different speech therapy treatments: Phonomotor Treatment versus Phonological Components Analysis. Participants will undergo both treatments across several months to determine the most effective approach.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: PMT Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Phonomotor Treatment (PMT) will be administered. This treatment improves anomia by training the sound sequences of words. This is a multimodal treatment approach that includes listening, producing, visualizing, and describing sounds and sound sequences. The participant practices the sound sequence tasks with the clinician.

Group II: PCA Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) will be administered. This treatment improves anomia by identifying phonological features of words. A picture is presented. The participant provides features of the picture name: the first sound of the word, the final sound of the word, the number of syllables of the word, another word that starts with the same sound, and another words that rhymes with the word. The participant attempts to produce the word independently and by repeating after the clinician.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

State University of New York at Buffalo

Lead Sponsor

Trials

279

Recruited

52,600+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A survey of two national pharmacovigilance databases revealed that rivastigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor used for dementia, is associated with a significantly higher frequency of reported deaths compared to other similar medications, with reporting odds ratios indicating a strong correlation.

Despite the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors in treating Alzheimer's disease, the increased risk of fatal outcomes with rivastigmine should be carefully considered when prescribing this medication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse Effects of Cholinesterase Inhibitors in Dementia, According to the Pharmacovigilance Databases of the United-States and Canada. Ali, TB., Schleret, TR., Reilly, BM., et al.[2022]

In a pharmacovigilance study of 1762 patients taking donepezil for Alzheimer's disease, common side effects included nausea, diarrhea, malaise, dizziness, and insomnia, but serious issues like cardiac disturbances were not observed.

While the study noted some uncommon adverse reactions such as aggression and abnormal dreams, these findings suggest the need for further research to confirm their association with donepezil.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse effects associated with the use of donepezil in general practice in England. Dunn, NR., Pearce, GL., Shakir, SA.[2018]

A study involving 26 individuals with chronic aphasia due to stroke showed that intensive phonologic therapy led to a 5% improvement in naming untrained nouns after 3 months, indicating effective generalization of therapy benefits.

The therapy also resulted in 9% to 10% increases in generalization measures of phonologic processes, suggesting that this approach can enhance overall phonemic access and efficiency, supporting its potential for broader application in aphasia treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Influence of Phonomotor Treatment on Word Retrieval Abilities in 26 Individuals With Chronic Aphasia: An Open Trial. Kendall, DL., Oelke, M., Brookshire, CE., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 1,920 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, donepezil was found to be well tolerated, with a completion rate of 79% and a favorable safety profile at doses of 5 mg and 10 mg.

While 11% of patients on donepezil withdrew due to adverse events compared to 7% on placebo, the most common side effects were manageable and included nausea and dizziness, with no significant impact on laboratory tests or liver function.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Donepezil: tolerability and safety in Alzheimer's disease. Pratt, RD., Perdomo, CA., Surick, IW., et al.[2022]

In a study of 57 individuals with aphasia, both Phonomotor Therapy (PMT) and Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) showed initial improvements in discourse production, but only PMT led to significant long-term gains three months after treatment.

The results suggest that while both treatments can be effective, PMT may provide more lasting benefits for improving functional communication in daily situations compared to SFA.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of Phonomotor Therapy and Semantic Feature Analysis on Discourse Production. Silkes, JP., Fergadiotis, G., Graue, K., et al.[2021]

In a study of 1332 patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias in France, the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was found to be 5.0%, with serious ADRs occurring in 31.9% of cases, highlighting the potential risks associated with medication in this population.

The most common ADRs were gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and psychiatric disorders, with anti-dementia and psychotropic drugs being the most frequently implicated, indicating a need for careful monitoring and prescribing practices in patients with dementia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse drug reactions in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia in France: a national multicentre cross-sectional study. Laroche, ML., Perault-Pochat, MC., Ingrand, I., et al.[2013]

A study involving 10 adults with chronic post-stroke aphasia showed that phonological treatment for anomia led to significant improvements in naming accuracy for both treated and untreated words, with benefits observed at multiple follow-up points.

The research identified that early responsiveness to treatment cues and initial improvements in naming were strong predictors of overall treatment success, suggesting that strengthening lexical-phonological connections may facilitate generalization of treatment effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mechanisms underlying anomia treatment outcomes. Simic, T., Chambers, C., Bitan, T., et al.[2021]

In a study of 26 participants with aphasia undergoing a 6-week phonomotor treatment program, characteristics like aphasia severity and error profile were linked to improvements in confrontation naming and discourse abilities, but no single characteristic consistently predicted long-term benefits three months after treatment.

The variability in treatment responses suggests that factors beyond age, severity, and error profile may play a role in how individuals with aphasia respond to phonomotor therapy, indicating a need for further research into these influences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Variables on Generalization and Maintenance Following Phonomotor Treatment for Aphasia. Pompon, RH., Bislick, L., Elliott, K., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025000814

A systematic review of Phonological Components Analysis ... Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) is effective to treat anomia in most cases. •. Experimental designs of PCA efficacy studies are highly heterogeneous. •.

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40015347/

A systematic review of Phonological Components Analysis ... In total, thirteen studies were selected involving 89 PWA. Participants were at least 6 months post-stroke, and 75 % of them presented with Broca's or anomic ...

3. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.13080

Effectiveness of French Phonological Components ... Phonological Component Analysis (PCA) improves naming of treated and untreated items in individuals living with aphasia. There is also evidence ...

4. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/240040814_Treating_naming_impairments_in_aphasia_Findings_from_a_phonological_components_analysis_treatment

Treating naming impairments in aphasia: Findings from a ... Conclusions: This investigation was successful in demonstrating the effectiveness of a new phonological approach to the remediation of naming ...

5. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699206.2023.2221374

Focusing on the locus of the breakdown for treatment ... This study provided evidence supporting the possible benefits of focusing on the locus of the breakdown for treating anomia through SFA and PCA approaches.

6. tactustherapy.com tactustherapy.com/pca-phonological-components-analysis-aphasia/

Phonological Components Analysis for Aphasia Phonological components analysis is an evidence-based speech therapy technique to improve word-finding in aphasia. Learn how with a free download.

7. theadultspeechtherapyworkbook.com theadultspeechtherapyworkbook.com/phonological-components-analysis/

Phonological Components Analysis: A Step-By-Step Guide In this article, you'll find a step-by-step guide to phonological component analysis for speech therapy, with charts and examples.

8. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/389370181_A_systematic_review_of_Phonological_Components_Analysis_therapy_studies_for_aphasia

A systematic review of Phonological Components Analysis ... These therapies are particularly beneficial for individuals with anomic aphasia or other naming deficits, helping to reduce word-finding ...

9. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06712225?term=naming%20a%20goal&checkSpell=&rank=3

Anomia Therapy and Executive Function Training in ... The goal of this clinical trial is to measure the effects of a speech therapy protocol combining anomia therapy and executive function training on naming ...