Delayed Word Repetition for Aphasia

Overseen By Nadine Martin, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Temple University

Disqualifiers: Mental illness, Alcohol/substance abuse, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 weeks

130 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The aim of this research is to translate a theory of the cognitive relationship between verbal short--term memory (STM) and word processing impairments in aphasia to treatment approaches for language impairment in aphasia. It has been proposed that the co-occurrence of these impairments is due to a disruption of cognitive processes that support both abilities: maintenance of activated semantic and phonological representations of words, hereafter the 'activation--maintenance hypothesis'. This hypothesis will be tested in the context of a treatment approach that aims to improve word processing and verbal STM abilities. The grant supporting this work has ended. therefore, participants are entered into the study by invitation only.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment for aphasia?

Research shows that treatments focusing on maintaining word activation, like delayed word repetition, can help people with aphasia improve their language skills, especially those who struggle with keeping words active in their memory. Some participants in studies showed significant improvements in language tasks after such treatments. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is Delayed Word Repetition for Aphasia safe for humans?

The research articles reviewed do not provide specific safety data for Delayed Word Repetition for Aphasia or related treatments. However, these studies focus on language and cognitive processes in aphasia and do not report any adverse effects, suggesting that the treatments are generally safe for participants. ^{3 4 6 7 8}

How is the Delayed Word Repetition treatment for aphasia different from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on improving the ability to maintain word activation over a short delay, which helps with word retrieval in people with aphasia. It specifically benefits those who have difficulty keeping words active in their memory, unlike other treatments that may not target this specific cognitive process. ^{1 2 3 4 9}

Research Team

Nadine Martin, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Temple University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for right-handed adults aged 21-80 with aphasia due to a single left hemisphere stroke, at least six months post-stroke. Participants must have high school education or higher, English proficiency, good hearing and vision (with aids if needed), and no history of mental illness, neurological disease unrelated to stroke, substance abuse, or inability to consent.

Inclusion Criteria

You can hear sounds at specific frequencies in at least one ear, even with the help of correction like hearing aids.

You have a lesion in the left side of your brain.

You have had a stroke at least six months ago.

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant

You have a history of mental illness.

You have had mental health issues in the past.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive behavioral treatment involving word repetition after a time delay to improve word processing and verbal STM abilities

6 weeks

Weekly sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Theory-Driven Treatment of Language and Cognitive Processes in Aphasia

Trial Overview The study tests a treatment based on the 'activation-maintenance hypothesis' which suggests that verbal short-term memory and word processing impairments in aphasia are linked. The intervention involves repeating words after a time delay to improve language processing and memory in people with aphasia.

Participant Groups

Group I: Word repetition after a tiem delay Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

People with Aphasia and Short-Term Memory impairment will receive a behavioral treatment: Word repetition after a time delay. This is the intervention: repetition of words after a 5 or 10 second delay.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Temple University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

321

Recruited

89,100+

University of Pennsylvania

Collaborator

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials

377

Recruited

190,000+

Findings from Research

In a study involving 10 individuals with anomic aphasia and 6 healthy adults, repeated naming of objects led to higher accuracy and faster response times compared to naming actions, highlighting the differences in naming efficiency between object and action pictures.

Individuals with anomic aphasia showed variability in response times across trials, unlike healthy participants who improved their response times, suggesting that their retrieval processes may be less efficient and could benefit from targeted interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Response Time Inconsistencies in Object and Action Naming in Anomic Aphasia. Galletta, EE., Goral, M.[2019]

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]

A semantic-based treatment for picture naming was effective for 2 out of 4 individuals with Broca's aphasia, leading to improved naming of both trained and untrained nouns.

For the other 2 participants, improvements in naming only occurred after additional treatment focused on phonological information, highlighting the importance of tailoring therapy to individual needs in lexical processing.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Model-based semantic treatment for naming deficits in aphasia. Drew, RL., Thompson, CK.[2019]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of phonological and semantic deficits on facilitative and inhibitory consequences of item repetition in spoken word comprehension. [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Response Time Inconsistencies in Object and Action Naming in Anomic Aphasia. [2019]

3. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment of the Linguistic and Temporal Components of Lexical Activation to Improve Word Retrieval in Aphasia. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment of verbal short-term memory abilities to improve language function in aphasia: A case series treatment study. [2022]

5. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Unification of behavioural, computational and neural accounts of word production errors in post-stroke aphasia. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mechanisms underlying anomia treatment outcomes. [2021]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining Dose Frameworks to Improve Aphasia Rehabilitation Research. [2023]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Model-based semantic treatment for naming deficits in aphasia. [2019]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessment of linguistic and verbal short-term memory components of language abilities in aphasia. [2020]