Efficacy of Language Games as Therapy for Post Stroke Aphasia

NCT ID: NCT02458222

Last Updated: 2021-03-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2025-04-30

Brief Summary

Aphasia is a language impairment experienced by about one third of stroke patients. This often devastating condition is treated by speech and language therapists (SLTs). There is evidence that language games delivered at the right intensity are an efficacious means of improving communication for people with post stroke aphasia. However, it is unclear which mechanism of language facilitation used in a game works best. This study will provide evidence for the "active ingredient" of a game, together with measures of efficacy, feasibility and enjoyment compared to standard aphasia therapy.

Detailed Description

Aphasia is a language impairment experienced by about one third of stroke patients. This often devastating condition is treated by speech and language therapists (SLTs). There is evidence that language games delivered at the right intensity are an efficacious means of improving communication for people with post stroke aphasia. However, it is unclear which mechanism of language facilitation used in a game works best. This study will provide evidence for the "active ingredient" of a game, together with measures of efficacy, feasibility and enjoyment compared to standard aphasia therapy.

Participants with moderate-severe difficulties will play picture naming games, involving self-cuing using gesture and circumlocution. Those with mild difficulties will play story-telling games, using similar self-cuing techniques. Change in language performance will be measured and compared to that achieved by the same participants following an episode of standard aphasia therapy from their local SLT (i.e. normal care).

This study will build on a growing evidence base for the efficacy of therapeutic language games in post stroke aphasia. In today's resource-constrained National Health Service, SLTs are continually searching for cost-effective, innovative ways of delivering therapy. Language games based on sound neuro-scientific principles have the potential to deliver improvements in functional communication by means of an enjoyable and motivating activity, and moreover can be done cost effectively. Improvements have been demonstrated from the acute through to the chronic stage of stroke. A number of factors are said to contribute to the outcomes achieved: intensity of training, behavioural relevance and focussed use of capacities. This study intends to explore in more depth some of the specific behaviours that can occur spontaneously or than can be prompted to facilitate language. The aim is to uncover the "active ingredient", and thereby ensure that participants can benefit maximally from therapeutic language games.

This study will contribute to the search for cost effective treatment for post-stroke aphasia, which offers ease and flexibility of delivery, is enjoyable and motivating for patients, and works.

Conditions

Stroke; Aphasia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

game therapy then standard therapy

participants will take part in language game therapy followed by standard aphasia therapy

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

language game therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

participants will take part in game therapy

standard therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

usual clinical care

standard therapy then game therapy

participants will have standard aphasia therapy first then will take part in language game therapy

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

language game therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

participants will take part in game therapy

standard therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

usual clinical care

Interventions

language game therapy

participants will take part in game therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

standard therapy

usual clinical care

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults who have suffered a stroke a minimum of 2 months prior to commencement of the intervention. They will present with expressive aphasia, with relatively preserved language comprehension. They will have been fully fluent in English before the stroke.

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe perceptual or cognitive deficits. History of other neurological, psychiatric or neurodegenerative disease impairing language or communicative ability. Severe visual agnosia. Severe limb apraxia. Severe dysarthria. Drug or alcohol abuse.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Birmingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Sean Jennings, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University of Birmingham

Locations

Moor Green Out-Patient Brain Injury Service

Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United Kingdom

Central Contacts

Andrew Olson, PhD

Role: CONTACT

olsonac@bham.ac.uk

+44 121 414 3328

Facility Contacts

Louise Lander, MSc

Role: primary

Louise.Lander@BHAMCLouise.Lander@BHAMCommunity.nhs.uk

44 121 466 6070

Other Identifiers

RG_14-300

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id