Brain Injuries, Cerebrovascular Accident, Dyslexia, Acquired
Conditions
Keywords
Cognitive therapy, Aphasia therapy, Alexia, Acquired dyslexia, Phonological deficits, Orthographic deficits, Brain disorders, Brain injury, Stroke
Brief summary
Adults who sustain brain damage due to stroke, head injury, or traumatic surgery may develop difficulty reading. This study examines the effectiveness of behavior-based programs to improve reading ability in these individuals.
Detailed description
Acquired disorders of reading (acquired dyslexia) are common in patients with aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere stroke. Even when language functions recover sufficiently to enable the patient to return to work, continuing dyslexia often interferes significantly with job performance. This study will evaluate cognitive therapies for the treatment of acquired dyslexia. Each therapy is based upon a cognitive neuropsychological model of reading; the therapies target specific types of reading deficit and stem from the question of re-learning versus re-organization of function. The therapies focus on dyslexic disorders stemming from the following underlying deficits: 1) impaired access to the orthographic word form from the visual modality (pure alexia); 2) impaired orthographic/phonologic connections (phonologic/deep dyslexia); and 3) decreased ability to hold phonologic codes in memory (phonologic text alexia). Participants in this study will undergo a comprehensive and detailed battery of reading and reading-related tests to determine the underlying impairment causing the reading deficit. Based upon the results of these tests, the patient's dyslexic disorder will be characterized and, if appropriate, the patient will be assigned to one of the treatment programs devised specifically for that type of deficit. Treatment programs are evaluated for efficacy by comparing the accuracy and speed of reading pre- and post-treatment.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCognitive Therapy to Improve Reading
Sponsors
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Reading deficit subsequent to stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, or other brain damage * Ability to attend 2-3 sessions per week for several months at Georgetown University in Washington, DC
Exclusion criteria
* History of developmental dyslexia or learning disabilities * Best corrected vision less than 20/40 * Less than 10 years of formal education * Significant memory or comprehension problems
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Improved accuracy and/or speed of reading individual words aloud. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Improved accuracy and/or speed of reading text aloud. | — |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed