Tablet-based Aphasia Therapy in the Chronic Phase

University Hospital, Ghent15 enrolled

Overview

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.

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 Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Aphasia Stroke

Interventions

speech appDEVICE

language exercises provided by the speech therapist in hospital + independent practice of language exercises via a tablet and speech app

brain gamesDEVICE

language exercises provided by the speech therapist in hospital + independent recreational tablet use via brain games

aphasia therapyBEHAVIORAL

language exercises provided by the speech therapist in hospital

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 85 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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

Locations (1)

University Hospital, department of neurology

Ghent, Belgium

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Boston Naming Test (BNT)

Measure of word retrieval. Patients will have to name line drawings that gradually increase in difficulty

Time frame: 4 months

Secondary Outcomes

Spontaneous speech of the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT)

spontaneous speech is elicited and scored during a semi-standardized interview

Time frame: 4 months

Quality of life (SAQOL-39-Nl)

a questionnaire investigating the health-related quality of life of patients following stroke

Time frame: 4 months

Usability questionnaire

a self-prepared 5 point-Likert Scale concerning the usability of the app

Time frame: 1 day

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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