Cognitive Therapy to Improve Word Finding

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Adults who sustain brain damage due to stroke, traumatic injury or surgery may develop difficulty finding words. This study compares the effectiveness of two behavior-based programs to improve picture naming ability in these individuals.

Detailed Description
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Difficulty finding words is common in patients with aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere stroke. This study will compare two cognitive therapies for the treatment of acquired word finding difficulties. The therapies use different types of cues. All participants will receive both therapies. Participants in this study will undergo a comprehensive and detailed assessment of language and other cognitive skills. The two treatments will be compared for their efficacy.

Official Title
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Learning Paradigms in Aphasia Rehabilitation

Conditions
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Anomia, Aphasia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebrovascular Accident

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Errorful training condition
* Procedure: Errorless training condition


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Word finding difficulty subsequent to stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery or other brain damage occuring at least 6 month prior to participation Ability to attend 2 sessions per week for several months at Georgetown University in Washington, DC Exclusion Criteria: History of learning disabilities Best corrected vision less than 20/40 Corrected hearing within functional limits Less than 10 years formal education Significant memory or comprehension problems

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Errorful training condition<br>A type of anomia rehabilitation paradigm which allows for errors. The intervention involves providing minimal auditory cues to allow for errors in picture naming. | Procedure: Errorful training condition<br>* Errorful training condition: Participant saw a picture and named it without any cues. If an error was produced, the cue with the least amount of information was provided (e.g. for pumpkin, pu). Cues with increasing information were provided until the picture was correctly named (e.g. for pumpkin: pump, pumpki, then pumpkin). Once the correct name was provided, the trial ended.<br>|
| Experimental: Errorless training condition<br>A type of anomia rehabilitation paradigm in which the situation surrounding the performance of the desired task (i.e., picture naming) is controlled to prevent errors. The intervention involves providing maximal auditory cues to prevent errors in picture naming. | Procedure: Errorless training condition<br>* Errorless learning (EL) condition: Participant saw a picture with its name, and repeated the word. The participant continued to name the picture as the auditory cues provided less and less of the word (e.g. for banana she would hear banan, bana then ba and finally no cue). If an error was produced at any stage, the whole word was presented, the participant repeated it, and the trial ended.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Improved picture naming of trained words. | Overall accuracy of named trained items | Following conclusion of word treatment. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Improved picture naming of trained words. | Overall accuracy of named trained items | At 6 months after conclusion of word treatment | 
| Improved picture naming of untrained words. | Overall accuracy of named untrained items | Following conclusion of word treatment. | 
| Improved picture naming of untrained words. | Overall accuracy of named untrained items | At 6 months after conclusion of word treatment | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Anomia, Aphasia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebrovascular Accident