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Unconstrained Intensive Language Action Therapy for Aphasia

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Jacquie Kurland, Ph.D.
Research Sponsored by University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
premorbidly right handed
native speaker of English
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up change will be assessed post-home practice program (approx. 6 months
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

In this study the investigators are examining the effectiveness of intensive speech therapy in chronic moderate-to-severe stroke-induced aphasia under two conditions - responses "constrained" or unconstrained to speech. Both treatments involve massed practice communicating, using intensive language action therapy 3 hours/day, 5 days/week for two weeks, followed by six months of a home practice program. One treatment stresses spoken responses as the preferred expressive modality during intensive therapy. Before and after treatment, and following the home practice program and a period of no practice, the investigators will administer several tests and discourse samples to examine changes associated with the treatments. Participants will also undergo structural and functional MRI testing at these time points. The investigators will also attempt to quantify the degree to which improvements following intensive language therapy and home practice correlate with changes in Quality of Life measures as perceived by both participants with aphasia and their significant others. It is hypothesized that, whereas both treatments will lead to improvements in naming practiced words and communicating, outcomes will be enhanced for the group randomly assigned to the "constraint" condition. Moreover, performance will be enhanced on words practiced during the home practice program, including those that were not practiced during intensive therapy. Improved naming will correlate with modulation of 'signature' language and attentional networks, whose variability will depend on remaining viable brain structures. Initial severity and site/extent of lesion should predict patients' ability to transfer gains in naming to improvements in discourse.

Eligible Conditions
  • Aphasia

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~change will be assessed post-home practice program (approx. 6 months
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and change will be assessed post-home practice program (approx. 6 months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
• Change from baseline on Confrontation Naming Task
Secondary outcome measures
Change from baseline Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination
Other outcome measures
Change from baseline Assessment of Living with Aphasia
Change from baseline Boston Naming Test
Change from baseline discourse samples

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Unconstrained Intensive Language Action TherapyExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Following a phase of baseline pre-treatment testing, speech therapy sessions take place 5 days/week for 3 hours per session during two consecutive weeks. All communicative responses are encouraged during therapy. Following the intensive 2-week treatment, participants are trained in using individualized home practice programs on iPads. They practice approximately daily for six months, checking in weekly with an SLP via videoconferencing software and return for probes monthly. Six months post-treatment testing will take place following completion of the home practice phase and again at 12 months post-treatment.
Group II: Intensive Language Action Therapy ("constrained")Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Following a phase of baseline pre-treatment testing, speech therapy sessions take place 5 days/week for 3 hours per session during two consecutive weeks. Spoken responses are explicitly modeled and encouraged during therapy. Following the intensive 2-week treatment, participants are trained in using individualized home practice programs on iPads. They practice approximately daily for six months, checking in weekly with an SLP via videoconferencing software and return for probes monthly. Six months post-treatment testing will take place following completion of the home practice phase and again at 12 months post-treatment.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Intensive Language Action Therapy
2012
N/A
~30

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)NIH
325 Previous Clinical Trials
178,136 Total Patients Enrolled
36 Trials studying Aphasia
2,675 Patients Enrolled for Aphasia
University of Massachusetts, AmherstLead Sponsor
77 Previous Clinical Trials
467,568 Total Patients Enrolled
2 Trials studying Aphasia
62 Patients Enrolled for Aphasia
Jacquie Kurland, Ph.D.Principal InvestigatorUMass Amherst

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.
~2 spots leftby Mar 2025