Establishment of Virtual Reality System for Stroke Patients With Aphasia

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Aphasia can significantly influence a person's social relationship and quality of life. To achieve positive language outcomes, an intensive and high-repetition speech therapy is essential. However, due to the limited number of speech therapists, the intensity and frequency of training are often insufficient. Therefore, it is critical to develop other rehabilitation approaches to enhance the benefits of aphasia intervention. Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive and interactive computer simulation technology that can promote the ecological validity of speech therapy. In this study, we develop an innovative VR software for speech training to explore the effects of VR on various aspects of language outcomes.

Detailed Description
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We randomly assigned study participants into 2 groups: the traditional speech therapy (ST) group and the traditional ST with additional VR training (ST+VR) group. In the ST group, each participant received 1-hour traditional ST for each session. In the ST+VR group, an additional 30-minute VR training was administered immediately after each session of traditional ST. All participants received 3 sessions of treatment every week for 3 weeks. For outcome measurement, we administered Concise Chinese Aphasia Test (CCAT) at 3 different time points: before treatment, 1 day and 3 months after the completion of treatment.

Official Title
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Establishment of Virtual Reality System for Stroke Patients With Aphasia

Conditions
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Aphasia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: virtual reality speech training
* Other: traditional speech therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of stroke with aphasia, including fluent and non-fluent types Age between 20 80-year-old Able to understand virtual reality training Able to cooperate with instructions and follow the rules Able to use the virtual reality controller and device Able to sign the subject's informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of brain pathology other than stoke, such as brain tumor, Parkinson's disease, dementia Unable to cooperate with the instructions Unable to learn how to use the virtual reality controller and device Any medical diseases or unstable vital signs that may cause safety concern Severe hearing or vision impairments Have ever received any form of speech therapy or virtual reality training

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 80 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: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: traditional speech therapy and additional virtual reality training group<br>Each participant received 1-hour traditional speech therapy(ST) and additional 30-minute VR training immediately after each session of traditional ST. All participants received 3 sessions of treatment every week for 3 weeks. | Other: virtual reality speech training<br>* virtual reality speech training that focuses on receptive and expressive aspects of language, through a newly developed interactive virtual reality software<br>Other: traditional speech therapy<br>* traditional speech therapy in current clinical use, that focuses on language comprehension, naming, fluency, repetition.<br>|
| Active Comparator: traditional speech therapy group<br>Each participant received 1-hour traditional speech therapy(ST) only for each session. All participants received 3 sessions of treatment every week for 3 weeks. | Other: traditional speech therapy<br>* traditional speech therapy in current clinical use, that focuses on language comprehension, naming, fluency, repetition.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Changes Concise Chinese Aphasia Test (CCAT) scores at 1 day after treatment | CCAT total scores and scores of subtests, including conversation, description, matching, listening comprehension, expression, reading recognition, sentence repetition, imitation, spontaneous writing | Baseline and at 1 day after total treatments complete | 
| Changes of Concise Chinese Aphasia Test (CCAT) scores at 3 months after treatment | CCAT total scores and scores of subtests, including conversation, description, matching, listening comprehension, expression, reading recognition, sentence repetition, imitation, spontaneous writing | Baseline and at 3 months after total treatments complete | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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virtual reality, aphasia, language rehabilitation, stroke