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Speech-Language Therapy for Aphasia

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Aneta Kielar, PhD

Research Sponsored by University of Arizona

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Present with speech-language impairment (aphasia) caused by stroke or dementia

A medical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) by a neurologist or physician

Must not have

Severe systemic disease (e.g., renal failure)

Individuals who have had a brain surgery in the past

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up through study completion, an average of 1 year

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will investigate the efficacy of language-based treatment for aphasia and its corresponding neural patterns.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for English-speaking adults with aphasia due to stroke or dementia, who can undergo MRI scans and have normal vision and hearing (with aids if needed). It's not for those with severe health issues, claustrophobia, metal implants incompatible with MRI, substance abuse history, recent seizures, brain surgery history, or psychiatric conditions affecting communication.

What is being tested?

The study compares individualized speech-language training versus standard language intervention in improving communication skills among people with aphasia. It also examines the long-term effects of these treatments and their associated neural patterns through brain imaging.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves non-invasive language therapy interventions rather than medication or surgical procedures, side effects are minimal but may include fatigue from intensive training sessions and discomfort during MRI scanning.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

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

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I have difficulty speaking or understanding language due to a stroke or dementia.

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I have been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia by a doctor.

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My vision and hearing are normal or corrected to normal.

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I am a native English speaker.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I do not have severe illnesses like kidney failure.

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I have had brain surgery before.

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I have had a seizure or epileptic activity in the last year.

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I have skin lesions or damage to my skull.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ through study completion, an average of 1 year

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~through study completion, an average of 1 year

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and through study completion, an average of 1 year for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Aphasia

Mean change from baseline scores on the language probe task before and after each session

Mean change from baseline scores on the naming task

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Active Control

Group I: Active therapy groupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants will undergo individualized language treatment in which they will learn semantically- or phonologically based strategies to facilitate word finding difficulties, sentence formulation difficulties, or challenges in their narration and discourse. The level at which the treatment will be administered will depend on the participants' level of performance determined by the results of the language and cognitive testing done at baseline. Treatment will be administered twice a week for 10 weeks.

Group II: control groupActive Control1 Intervention

control group will undergo standard speech-language intervention

0 / 8Eligibility criteria met