Aphasia Physical EXercise Study: Randomized Trial

NCT ID: NCT07281313

Last Updated: 2025-12-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-31

Study Completion Date

2030-10-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of a high-intensity exercise program on recovery in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. The high-intensity exercise program has been specifically designed for individuals with post-stroke aphasia and includes an interval training full-body workout, which can increase cardiovascular fitness, improve muscle strength and motor performance, and maximize cognitive and language gains. The main question this study aims to answer is:

• Does participation in a high-intensity exercise program lead to changes in physical health, language, cognitive, motor recovery, psychological and/or psychosocial domains?

Participants will be randomly assigned to either a high-intensity exercise program (target intervention) or a low-intensity exercise program (control intervention) delivered over 12-weeks in a group setting.

Outcome measures will be collected once immediately after the intervention period and once during the following 12-week maintenance period to capture short- and long-term effects of the exercise program.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Aphasia, Acquired Aphasia Aphasia, Fluent Aphasia, Non-fluent Aphasia Following Cerebral Infarction Aphasia Following Nontraumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants will be randomly assigned to the low intensity intervention (control intervention) or the high-intensity physical exercise intervention (target intervention).
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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High-intensity physical exercise

The participants will take part in a high-intensity Aphasia Physical EXercise (APEX) intervention designed specifically for individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia for 12 weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

High-intensity physical exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

We have developed a new exercise program specifically designed for individuals with post-stroke aphasia, Aphasia Physical EXercise (APEX), to provide a safe, stroke- and aphasia-friendly physical exercise intervention to achieve optimal physical fitness and cognitive/language gains. This intervention, based on published research and clinical practice recommendations, is a high-intensity interval training full-body workout optimized to accommodate the range of motor abilities and general deconditioning observed in stroke survivors.

Low-intensity physical exercise

The participants will participate in a low-intensity non-aerobic exercise program for 12 weeks.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Low-intensity physical exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

As an active control intervention, a low-intensity non-aerobic exercise program was selected that mirrors more closely the standard-of-care physical therapy currently provided to stroke patients. This control intervention will offer the same level of participant involvement and type of interaction, but without the intensity element, i.e., it will not incorporate the cardiovascular and the strengthening components.

Interventions

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High-intensity physical exercise

We have developed a new exercise program specifically designed for individuals with post-stroke aphasia, Aphasia Physical EXercise (APEX), to provide a safe, stroke- and aphasia-friendly physical exercise intervention to achieve optimal physical fitness and cognitive/language gains. This intervention, based on published research and clinical practice recommendations, is a high-intensity interval training full-body workout optimized to accommodate the range of motor abilities and general deconditioning observed in stroke survivors.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Low-intensity physical exercise

As an active control intervention, a low-intensity non-aerobic exercise program was selected that mirrors more closely the standard-of-care physical therapy currently provided to stroke patients. This control intervention will offer the same level of participant involvement and type of interaction, but without the intensity element, i.e., it will not incorporate the cardiovascular and the strengthening components.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Aphasia following ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
* Aphasia as determined by a standardized language test (Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient \< 93.8 at study intake)
* At least 6 months from the last stroke
* Proficient in English before the stroke
* At least 8 years of education
* Between the ages of 18 and 80
* Independent with ambulation without a device (single-point cane accepted)
* Medically stable with no contraindications to participate in regular physical exercise as determined by the patients' own primary care provider or other treating provider.

Exclusion Criteria

* Prior history of dementia, neurologic illness (other than stroke), or recent (last 3 years) substance abuse
* Significant visual or hearing disabilities (e.g., neglect, uncorrected visual or hearing loss) that interfere with testing
* Self-report uncontrolled cardiorespiratory and/or metabolic disorders incompatible with exercise
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of California, San Francisco

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

California State University, East Bay

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of San Francisco

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of California, Berkeley

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Maria Ivanova

Associate Professional Researcher

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Maria Ivanova, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Berkeley

Locations

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University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

California State University, East Bay

Hayward, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Maria Ivanova, PhD

Role: CONTACT

650-390-7572

Facility Contacts

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Maria Ivanova, PhD

Role: primary

650-390-7572

Michelle Gravier, PhD

Role: primary

Christian J Thompson, Ph.D.

Role: primary

Cathra Halabi, MD

Role: primary

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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R01DC022663

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

20243771

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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