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Word-Retrieval Treatment for Aphasia: Semantic Feature Analysis

Primary Purpose

Aphasia, Language Disorders, Speech Disorders

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)Training
Sponsored by
US Department of Veterans Affairs
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Aphasia focused on measuring Aphasia, Language therapy, Rehabilitation of speech and language disorders, Speech-language pathology

Eligibility Criteria

21 Years - 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesAccepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: 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 Exclusion Criteria: 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

Sites / Locations

  • VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

No Intervention

Arm Label

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)

Participants for Stimuli Development

Arm Description

Word retrieval treatment for aphasia.

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

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

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.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Full Information

First Posted
July 27, 2005
Last Updated
December 22, 2014
Sponsor
US Department of Veterans Affairs
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT00125242
Brief Title
Word-Retrieval Treatment for Aphasia: Semantic Feature Analysis
Official Title
Word-Retrieval for Aphasia: Facilitation of Generalization
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
December 2014
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
July 2005 (undefined)
Primary Completion Date
February 2009 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
April 2013 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
US Department of Veterans Affairs

4. Oversight

Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

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.
Detailed Description
The purpose of the proposed research is to examine the effects of a semantically-oriented treatment on word retrieval in persons with aphasia. The planned investigations are designed to further the development of semantic feature training so that it may serve as not only a mechanism for improving disrupted lexical semantic processing, but also as a compensatory strategy during word retrieval failures. The proposed research will also address the issue of exemplar typicality (Kiran & Thompson, 2003) by examining the effects of training typical versus atypical exemplars of various categories with individuals with different types of aphasia. A series of 24 single subject experimental designs will be conducted in the context of a group design to address the following experimental questions: Will training atypical examples of living and artifact noun categories using semantic feature training result in a significantly different outcome* than training typical examples of living and artifact noun categories? Will training of one category of nouns using semantic feature training result in improved retrieval of untrained categories of nouns? Will effects of semantic feature training vary across aphasia types? Will semantic feature training result in increased production of content during discourse? Will generalization to untrained typical examples vary across generalization lists that are repeatedly exposed and those that are limited in exposure? (i.e., Does repeated exposure appear to contribute to generalization?) Outcome measure will reflect acquisition, response generalization within category, and response generalization across category effects of treatment.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Aphasia, Language Disorders, Speech Disorders
Keywords
Aphasia, Language therapy, Rehabilitation of speech and language disorders, Speech-language pathology

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Enrollment
110 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Word retrieval treatment for aphasia.
Arm Title
Participants for Stimuli Development
Arm Type
No Intervention
Arm Description
Non-brain-injured participants provided data for development of treatment stimuli.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)Training
Intervention Description
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.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Word Retrieval Accuracy
Description
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.
Time Frame
End of treatment and at 6 weeks post treatment

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
21 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
80 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 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 Exclusion Criteria: 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
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Julie L. Wambaugh, PhD
Organizational Affiliation
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City
City
Salt Lake City
State/Province
Utah
ZIP/Postal Code
84148
Country
United States

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Citations:
PubMed Identifier
23695909
Citation
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).
Results Reference
result
Citation
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.
Results Reference
result

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Word-Retrieval Treatment for Aphasia: Semantic Feature Analysis

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