Effects of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) Via Telerehabilitation on Word Finding in Post-stroke Aphasia.

NCT06096662 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: VR 2019-02465
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Despite evidence showing that speech and language intervention may improve language and communication abilities in people with acquired language disorders (aphasia), there is still need for evidence for which types of therapy are effective. Further, to improve accessibility of care, there is increasing need for evidence of intervention effects when therapy is provided online, via telerehabilitation. Therefore, the project aims at evaluating the effects of telerehabilitation with a specific speech-language therapy intervention for improving word-finding in individuals with aphasia due to stroke. The intervention Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) trains word finding at sentence level, and the treatment effect is expected to generalize to the production of connected speech.

Conditions

Aphasia; Anomia; Stroke

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change from baseline in naming ability of trained items at week 10.

  Naming of ten trained phrases including an agent (subject), verb and a patient (object) with moving picture stimuli. Possible score ranges from 0 (worst) to 40 (best).

  Baseline, 10 weeks

• Change from baseline in naming ability of trained items at week 14.

  Naming of ten trained phrases including an agent (subject), verb and a patient (object) with moving picture stimuli. Possible score ranges from 0 (worst) to 40 (best).

  Baseline, 14 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (14)

• Change from baseline in naming ability of untrained items at week 10.

  Baseline, 10 weeks.

• Change from baseline in naming ability of untrained items at week 14.

  Baseline, 14 weeks.

• Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects and actions) at week 10.

  Baseline, 10 weeks.

• Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects and actions) at week 14.

  Baseline, 14 weeks.

• Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects) at week 10.

  Baseline, 10 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Experimental: Treatment group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive 35 hours of training, twice a week in ten weeks using Verb Network Strenghtening Treatment (VNeST). Treatment will be administered by a speech-language pathologist thought an online platform.

Behavioral: Verb Network Strenghtening Treatment (VNeST)

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will not receive speech-and-language treatment targeting word-finding. Treatment for word finding will be provided by a speech-language pathologist after participation to the study.

Interventions

Verb Network Strenghtening Treatment (VNeST) BEHAVIORAL

Participants are presented with a verb (representing an activity, for example, to drive) orally and in writing. The participants are first asked to name someone who may perform a given activity (an agent/subject, for example a chauffeur), then to name an object which the named activity can pe performed with (a patient/object, for example a limousine). Several types of semantic cues and assistance are given if the participant has difficulties finding adequate nouns). This procedure is repeated for three different agents and objects related to the given verb. The participants is then asked to choose one of the three sentences participants have created and expand on it by telling where, when and why the agents are performing the activity. After this, the participants are given sentences (with several foils) including the activity as well as agents and objects/patients, and are asked to indicate whether the sentences are plausible or not.

Experimental: Treatment group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aphasia and subjective experience of word finding difficulties
• Diagnosed left hemisphere stroke at least six months post-onset
• With correction, sufficient hearing and vision to be able to participate in training and assessment.
• Sufficient stamina to be able to participate in training and assessment.
• Swedish as one of the first languages.

You may not qualify if:

• Other known neurological conditions
• Untreated epilepsy
• Severely impaired comprehension
• Moderate-severe dysarthria or apraxia of speech which may interfere with assessment.
• Speech-language treatment targeting specifically word finding during participation in the study.
• Participation in other studies/clinical treatment using Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) during three months prior to the study.
• Active substance dependence

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Vastra Gotaland Region: lead
• The Swedish Research Council: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Gothenburg and Västra Götalandsregionen

Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, 40530, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (14)

• Brady MC, Kelly H, Godwin J, Enderby P, Campbell P. Speech and language therapy for aphasia following stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jun 1;2016(6):CD000425. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000425.pub4.

  PMID: 27245310 BACKGROUND

• Edmonds LA, Babb M. Effect of verb network strengthening treatment in moderate-to-severe aphasia. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2011 May;20(2):131-45. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2011/10-0036). Epub 2011 Mar 8.

  PMID: 21386047 BACKGROUND

• Edmonds LA, Nadeau SE, Kiran S. Effect of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) on Lexical Retrieval of Content Words in Sentences in Persons with Aphasia. Aphasiology. 2009 Mar 1;23(3):402-424. doi: 10.1080/02687030802291339.

  PMID: 19763227 BACKGROUND

• Edmonds LA, Mammino K, Ojeda J. Effect of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) in persons with aphasia: extension and replication of previous findings. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2014 May;23(2):S312-29. doi: 10.1044/2014_AJSLP-13-0098.

  PMID: 24687125 BACKGROUND

• Goodglass, H., Kaplan, E., & Weintraub, S. (1983). Boston naming test. Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger.

  BACKGROUND

• Hilari K, Lamping DL, Smith SC, Northcott S, Lamb A, Marshall J. Psychometric properties of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39) in a generic stroke population. Clin Rehabil. 2009 Jun;23(6):544-57. doi: 10.1177/0269215508101729. Epub 2009 May 15.

  PMID: 19447841 BACKGROUND

• Kiran S, Thompson CK. The role of semantic complexity in treatment of naming deficits: training semantic categories in fluent aphasia by controlling exemplar typicality. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2003 Aug;46(4):773-87. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2003/061).

  PMID: 12959459 BACKGROUND

• Kristensson J, Saldert C, Ostberg P, Smith SR, Ake S, Longoni F. Naming vs. non-naming treatment in aphasia in a group setting-A randomized controlled trial. J Commun Disord. 2022 May-Jun;97:106215. doi: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106215. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

  PMID: 35367876 BACKGROUND

• Long A, Hesketh A, Paszek G, Booth M, Bowen A. Development of a reliable self-report outcome measure for pragmatic trials of communication therapy following stroke: the Communication Outcome after Stroke (COAST) scale. Clin Rehabil. 2008 Dec;22(12):1083-94. doi: 10.1177/0269215508090091.

  PMID: 19052247 BACKGROUND

• Long A, Hesketh A, Bowen A; ACT NoW Research Study. Communication outcome after stroke: a new measure of the carer's perspective. Clin Rehabil. 2009 Sep;23(9):846-56. doi: 10.1177/0269215509336055. Epub 2009 May 29.

  PMID: 19482891 BACKGROUND

• Masterson, J., & Druks, J. (1998). Description of a set of 164 nounsand 102 verbs matched for printed word frequency, familiarityand age-of-acquisition. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 11(4), 331-354

  BACKGROUND

• Nicholas LE, Brookshire RH. A system for quantifying the informativeness and efficiency of the connected speech of adults with aphasia. J Speech Hear Res. 1993 Apr;36(2):338-50. doi: 10.1044/jshr.3602.338.

  PMID: 8487525 BACKGROUND

• Torinsson, M., Saldert, C., Rödseth Smith, S., Kristensson, J., & Longoni, F. (2023). Telerehabilitation with Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) in two persons with mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-severe aphasia: A single-case experimental design study. Submitted manuscript.

  BACKGROUND

• Webster J, Whitworth A. Treating verbs in aphasia: exploring the impact of therapy at the single word and sentence levels. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2012 Nov-Dec;47(6):619-36. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00174.x. Epub 2012 Jul 18.

  PMID: 23121523 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia; Anomia; Stroke

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Speech Disorders; Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Officials

• Francesca Longoni, Dr.

  Inst of Neurosci & Physiology, Speech & Language Pathology Unit, University of Gothenburg

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The results are assessed by independent assessors blinded to in which phase (pre-post-follow up) the data is obtained, and to group (Therapy group or control group).
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Parallel assignment

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 17, 2023
• First Posted: October 24, 2023
• Study Start: November 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: July 9, 2024
• Study Completion: July 9, 2024
• Last Updated: June 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2023-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)