Effects of Semantic Context on Criterion-learning Naming Treatment in Aphasia

NCT07673198 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 4526.3R01DC015516
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Aphasia is a disorder of spoken and written language, most commonly following a stroke. It is estimated that between 2.5 and 4 million Americans are living with aphasia today. A common problem in aphasia involves difficulty retrieving known words in the course of language production and comprehension. The overarching goal of this project is to develop and test early efficacy, efficiency, and the tolerability of a lexical treatment for aphasia in multiple-session regimens that are comprised of retrieval practice, distributed practice, and training dedicated to the elicitation of correct retrievals. The aim of this work is to add to and refine the evidence base for the implementation and optimization of these elements in the treatment of production and comprehension deficits in aphasia, and make important steps towards an ultimate goal of self-administered lexical treatment grounded in retrieval practice principles (RPP) to supplement traditional speech-language therapy that is appropriate for People with Aphasia (PWA) from a broad level of severity of lexical processing deficit in naming and/or comprehension. This project cumulatively builds on prior work to develop a theory of learning for lexical processing impairment in aphasia that aims to ultimately explain why and for whom familiar lexical treatments work, and how to maximize the benefits they confer.

Conditions

Aphasia

Keywords

anomia; retrieval practice; word-finding problem; communication disorder; naming impairment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Trained naming items

  Confrontation naming task that involves trained items

  approximately one-week following treatment

Other Outcomes (1)

• Trained naming items pupillometry

  approximately one-week post-treatment

Study Arms (1)

Criterion-learning practice

EXPERIMENTAL

This is a single-arm study

Behavioral: Criterion-learning practice

Interventions

Criterion-learning practice BEHAVIORAL

The experiments will be presented on a computer. On each criterion-learning trial, a picture is presented and the participant is asked to try to produce the name for the object with or without a cue. Correct-answer feedback is provided. Criterion learning involves presenting a block of items in fixed order, and on each trial, the experimenter or a voice-recognition component will code the response during the trial as correct/incorrect. When the item reaches its assigned criterion level, it is dropped from further training in a session.

Criterion-learning practice

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 89 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• English as a native or primary language
• Adults with stroke who are at least 6 months post-onset

You may not qualify if:

• History of comorbid neurological diagnoses, such as Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson's Disease
• History of a learning disability that significantly impacted language development, such as developmental language disorder
• Insufficient stamina to participate in the protocol

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Albert Einstein Healthcare Network: lead
• Thomas Jefferson University: collaborator
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute

Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 19027, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia; Anomia; Communication Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Speech Disorders; Language Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Erica Middleton, PhD

  Albert Einstein Healthcare Network

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Kelly Horel, CCC-SLP

CONTACT

215-663-6017; kelly.horel@jefferson.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Institute Scientist, Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2026
• First Posted: June 29, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028
• Last Updated: July 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: 6 months following publication
• Access Criteria: Anonymized data and analysis code will be accessible on the Open Science Framework (OSF).

Locations

US (1)