Word-Retrieval Treatment for Aphasia: Semantic Feature Analysis

NCT00125242 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: C3826-R
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 110
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this investigation is to further develop and test a treatment for word-finding problems in aphasia. The treatment is designed to strengthen meaning associations within categories of words (e.g., animals, tools, fruits). The treatment is also designed to be used as a search strategy in instances of word-finding difficulty. The study was devised to evaluate the extent to which treatment increases the ability to recall trained, as well as untrained, words.

Conditions

Aphasia; Language Disorders; Speech Disorders

Keywords

Aphasia; Language therapy; Rehabilitation of speech and language disorders; Speech-language pathology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Word Retrieval Accuracy

  Accuracy of naming of pictured treated and untreated items was assessed in probes conducted separate from treatment. Probes were conducted repeatedly throughout the study, from baseline (prior to treatment) to follow-up (6 weeks following treatment). All naming responses were scored using a 0-10 scale reflecting promptness and presence of errors; scores of 8-10 received an "accuate" score and scores of 0-7 received an "inaccurate" score. A percentage accuracy score was calculated for each experimental set of items for every probe session. Baseline probe scores were compared to end of treatment and follow-up probe scores to obtain individual effect sizes for each experimental list of items for each participant (i.e., several effect sizes were calculated for each participant). All effect sizes were utlized to obtain an average effect size for each participant; these averages were then utlized to obtain a group average.

  End of treatment and at 6 weeks post treatment

Study Arms (2)

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)

EXPERIMENTAL

Word retrieval treatment for aphasia.

Behavioral: Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)Training

Participants for Stimuli Development

NO INTERVENTION

Non-brain-injured participants provided data for development of treatment stimuli.

Interventions

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)Training BEHAVIORAL

SFA entails having the speech-language pathologist (SLP) guide the participant through generation of pertinent semantic features for pictured treatment items (e.g., category membership, physical description, location of item in context, personal associations, action associated with item). For some participants, treatment items were grouped according to typicality of category membership (e.g,, a robin-typical bird and penguin-atypical bird). Training of atypical items may stimulate a broader semantic activation of the category and thus, may promote greater generalization. Treatment was applied sequentially to sets of items in the context of single-subject, multiple baseline designs. In this way, replication of treatment effects could be evaluated within and across participants. Treatment was administered by certified SLPs three times per week until prescribed accuracy levels were met during nontreatment probes or a maximum number of treatment sessions was completed.

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of Wernicke's, Broca's, or Conduction aphasia with significant word-retrieval deficits
• At least 6 months post-onset of single, left-hemisphere stroke
• Minimum of high-school education
• Visual and auditory acuity sufficient for experimental tasks
• Nonverbal intelligence within normal limits

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed mental illness other than depression
• Neurological condition other than that which resulted in aphasia
• History of alcohol or substance abuse
• Non-native English speaker
• Premorbid history of speech/language disorder

Sponsors & Collaborators

• US Department of Veterans Affairs: lead

Study Sites (1)

VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84148, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Wambaugh JL, Mauszycki S, Cameron R, Wright S, Nessler C. Semantic feature analysis: incorporating typicality treatment and mediating strategy training to promote generalization. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2013 May;22(2):S334-69. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2013/12-0070).

  PMID: 23695909 RESULT

• Wambaugh JL, Mauszycki S, Wright S. Semantic feature analysis: Application to confrontation naming of actions in aphasia. Aphasiology. 2013 Oct 28; 28(1):DOI:10.1080/02687038.2013.845739.

  RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia; Language Disorders; Speech Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Julie Wambaugh
• Organization: VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

julie.wambaugh@health.utah.edu

801-582-1565

Study Officials

• Julie L. Wambaugh, PhD

  VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 27, 2005
• First Posted: July 29, 2005
• Study Start: July 1, 2005
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2009
• Study Completion: April 1, 2013
• Last Updated: December 24, 2014
• Results First Posted: December 24, 2014

Record last verified: 2014-12

Locations

US (1)