The Effect of a Tablet-based Aphasia Therapy in the Chronic Phase After Stroke
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- University Hospital, Ghent
- Enrollment
- 15
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Boston Naming Test (BNT)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Aphasia is one of the most common and disabling disorders following stroke, in many cases resolving in long-term deficits. There is evidence that intensive aphasia therapy is effective for language recovery, even in the chronic phase post-stroke. However, as many patients are left with residual language disorders and intensive aphasia rehabilitation is difficult to achieve, the investigators are exploring tablet-based therapies to further facilitate language recovery in a cost-effective manner.
Detailed Description
This study will investigate the clinical effects of intensive tablet-based aphasia therapy as an add-on to conventional aphasia therapy (= high intensive) compared to conventional aphasia therapy (either alone, or in combination with recreational tablet use (= low intensive) in patients with aphasia following stroke, as measured by specific linguistic tests, within task improvements, functional communication and quality of life.
Furthermore, the investigators want to learn more about the recovery of specific underlying language processes via event-related potentials (ERPs). At last, the investigators aim to explore whether patients with aphasia are satisfied with a tablet-based aphasia therapy, whether the app is user-friendly and which barriers the participants might have encountered.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 85 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •diagnosed with mild-severe aphasia (token test score between 7 and 49) after a left hemispheric ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- •inclusion starting from 6 months post-stroke
- •age 18 - 85 years
- •being right-handed (according to the questionnaire for handedness, Van Strien)
- •mother tongue: Dutch
- •imaging (CT or MRI) prior to inclusion
- •signed informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •history of a previous stroke with persistent (> 24 hours) language symptoms
- •history of other diseases of the central nervous system, psychological disorders and (developmental) speech and/or language disorders
- •serious non-linguistic, cognitive disorders (as documented in the patients' medical history)
- •inability to perform tablet-based tasks (based on a short training session)
- •excessive use of alcohol or drugs
Arms & Interventions
aphasia therapy + speech app
3 hours per week of conventional aphasia therapy during 3 weeks + 5 hours per week during 3 weeks independent practice via the speech app
Intervention: speech app (Device)
aphasia therapy + speech app
3 hours per week of conventional aphasia therapy during 3 weeks + 5 hours per week during 3 weeks independent practice via the speech app
Intervention: aphasia therapy (Behavioral)
aphasia therapy + brain games
3 hours per week of conventional aphasia therapy during 3 weeks + 5 hours per week during 3 weeks of recreational tables use (brain games)
Intervention: brain games (Device)
aphasia therapy + brain games
3 hours per week of conventional aphasia therapy during 3 weeks + 5 hours per week during 3 weeks of recreational tables use (brain games)
Intervention: aphasia therapy (Behavioral)
aphasia therapy
3 hours per week of conventional aphasia therapy during 3 weeks
Intervention: aphasia therapy (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Boston Naming Test (BNT)
Time Frame: 4 months
Measure of word retrieval. Patients will have to name line drawings that gradually increase in difficulty
Secondary Outcomes
- Usability questionnaire(1 day)
- Quality of life (SAQOL-39-Nl)(4 months)
- Spontaneous speech of the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT)(4 months)