Agrammatism, Anomia, Aphasia, Dysgraphia, Stroke
Conditions
Keywords
Aphasia, Dysgraphia, Anomia, Agrammatism, Stroke, Language Recovery, Treatment, Biomarkers of Recovery
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of treatment for specific language deficits in people with aphasia. In addition to language and cognitive measures, changes in brain function will also be gathered before and after the treatment is administered in order to track any changes resulting from receiving treatment.
Detailed description
Naming Impairments (Anomia): The labs of Dr. Swathi Kiran (Boston University) and Dr. David Caplan (Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital) will be studying language recovery in adults with anomia (naming impairments) following a stroke. Participants will receive treatment focusing on the semantic features of common objects (e.g., that birds can fly). The study will examine how naming and other language abilities change in response to treatment, as well as how the brain changes, as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other techniques. Spelling/Writing Impairments (Dysgraphia): At Johns Hopkins University, the lab of Dr. Brenda Rapp will investigate the neurobiology of language recovery in individuals with dysgraphia (spelling/writing impairments) resulting from a stroke. In this study, treatment will focus on improving spelling ability. The study will examine how spelling and other language abilities change in response to treatment, as well as how the brain changes, as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other techniques. Deficits in Sentence Comprehension & Production: Dr. Cynthia Thompson's lab at Northwestern University will investigate language recovery in individuals with deficits in sentence production and comprehension. Treatment focuses on production and comprehension of complex sentences. At baseline (week 0) and after the treatment period (at week 12), participants take part in language, eye-tracking, and MRI testing, in order to learn how the processing of language, as well as brain function, changes as a result of treatment.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTreatment Focusing on Naming Objects
Treatment will be administered from week 0 until week 12.
BEHAVIORALTreatment Focusing on Improving Spelling Abilities
Treatment will be administered from week 0 until week 12.
BEHAVIORALTreatment Focusing on Improving Sentence Processing
Treatment will be administered from week 0 until week 12.
BEHAVIORALNo Treatment
No treatment will be administered.
Sponsors
Northwestern University
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
35 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Aphasia following a stroke * Stoke was at least 1 year ago * Medically stable * Right-handed * Normal or 'corrected to normal' vision and hearing * English as primary language * At least a high school education
Exclusion criteria
* History of neurological disease, head trauma, psychiatric disorders, alcoholism, or developmental speech, language, or learning disabilities
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in language and cognitive abilities as a result of treatment | week 0 to week 12 | Standard and non-standard measures of language and cognitive abilities will be gathered at baseline (week 0) to see if language deficits improve after treatment is administered (week 12). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Composite change in brain function as a result of treatment | week 0 to week 12 | Neural correlates of treatment effects will be examined using: * Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) * Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) * Perfusion Imaging * Functional Connectivity * Rest state Connectivity |
| Maintenance of language and cognitive abilities as a result of treatment | week 12 to week 24 | Standard and non-standard measures of language and cognitive abilities administered at week 12 will be compared to those administered at week 24 to see if improvement in language abilities as a result of treatment is maintained. |
| Maintenance of composite changes in brain function as a result of treatment | week 12 to week 24 | Neural correlates of treatment effects that are maintained for 12 weeks after treatment ends (week 12 to week 24) will be examined using: * Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) * Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) * Perfusion Imaging * Functional Connectivity * Rest state Connectivity |
Countries
United States
Contacts
STUDY_DIRECTORCynthia K Thompson, PhD
Northwestern University
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDavid Caplan, MDCM, PhD
Harvard University Massachusetts General Hospital
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBrenda Rapp, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSwathi Kiran, PhD, CCC-SLP
Boston University
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORTodd B Parrish, PhD
Northwestern University
Outcome results
None listed