Changes in Neuroplasticity Following Intensive Rehabilitation of Aphasia and/or Apraxia of Speech

NCT ID: NCT04604444

Last Updated: 2024-10-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-02-02
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-31

Brief Summary

The present study aims to investigate the short- and long-term effects of two weeks of intensive speech-language pathology intervention with additional physiotherapy, on aphasia and apraxia of speech (AOS) and their neural correlates in thirty persons with chronic stroke. Changes are studied following intensive treatment of aphasia and AOS with standardised speech-language testing and testing of communication and with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and resting state functional connectivity (rsFC).

Detailed Description

This study explores structural and functional brain changes in relation to effects on speech, language, communication and quality of life following an intensive speech-language program with additional physiotherapy for persons with chronic aphasia and/or apraxia of speech. The participants are consecutively recruited from a rehabilitation centre providing intensive treatment for chronic conditions following stroke or other neurological injuries. The speech-language pathologists (SLPs) involved in the rehabilitation programs perform the testing directly before and after intensive intervention with an additional follow up after 16 weeks (+-2) with testing of speech-language, communication and quality of life. The SLPs have more than five years of experience of working with aphasia and are specialised in working with intensive treatment, they have acquired in-depth knowledge on how to evaluate and treat aphasia and apraxia of speech in lectures and workshops. The test procedure is recorded with camcorder and voice recorder to provide the opportunity to access data retrospectively and to minimize bias by including an external SLP who makes a second blinded evaluation on randomized participants' performance in ASRS, BNT and CAT by studying the video and voice material. Structural and functional neuroplasticity is also investigated with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in domain-specific (language processing) and domain-general (executive and attention processing). This intensive neuro-rehabilitation program for speech and language deficits named Multimodal Intensive Rehabilitation for Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech (MIRAA) is defined as an ICAP (Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program) with focus on both speech and language function and communicative activity and participation. The program is intensive: consisting of ten days of training (5 hours/day), with a minimum of three hours dedicated to speech and language rehabilitation with additional physical therapy. The program includes both individual treatment, group therapy and computer-based therapy. The therapy is individually set up after the participant's goals together with the team including SLPs, physiotherapists and a board-certified neurologist and/or specialist in rehabilitation medicine. The goals are set by the participants, family members and clinicians the first day of the program. The participant and their significant other are offered education with the aim to enhance the knowledge on communication, the key concepts of neuroplasticity and other functions and strategies important in everyday life. The treatment methods being used are evidence-based and/or widely used multimodal programs covering the need for extensive training programs targeting both impairment-based therapy and functional communication. The specific questions are: Does ten days of with an intensive comprehensive aphasia/AOS program result in any clinical significant improvements in speech and/or language function and other cognitive skills for participants with chronic aphasia and/or apraxia of speech? Does the intensive intervention have any effect on the quality of everyday life concerning speech and language functions, activity and communicative participation for people with chronic aphasia and apraxia of speech? Can functional and anatomical brain changes be detected following ten days of intensive speech and language intervention for these participants?

Conditions

Aphasia; Apraxia of Speech; Dysarthria

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Multimodal Intensive Rehabilitation of Aphasia/AOS (MIRAA)

A minimum of 3 hour speech-language training daily during 10 days.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Multimodal Intensive Rehabilitation of Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia (ICAP) and Apraxia of Speech Program

Interventions

Multimodal Intensive Rehabilitation of Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech

Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia (ICAP) and Apraxia of Speech Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Aphasia 7 months post stroke diagnosed by SLP
• Apraxia of Speech 7 months post stroke diagnosed by SLP

Exclusion Criteria

• Dementia
• Severe loss of sight
• Severe loss of hearing
• Metal implants (preventing fMRI)
• Claustrophobia (preventing fMRI)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Malaga

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Karolinska Institutet

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ellika Schalling

Professor, Speech Language Pathologist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Ellika Schalling, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Uppsala University

Locations

Uppsala Universitet

Uppsala, , Sweden

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Sweden

Central Contacts

Marika J Schütz, Ph.D student

Role: CONTACT

marika.schutz@uu.se

0046737570430

Facility Contacts

Marika Schütz, Ph.D student

Role: primary

marika.schutz@uu.se

0046737570430

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

2016/1651-31

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id