Therapy for Reading Problems in Adults After Brain Injury

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Adults who sustain brain damage due to stroke, head injury, or traumatic surgery may develop difficulty reading. This study examines the effectiveness of behavior-based programs to improve reading ability in these individuals.

Detailed Description
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Acquired disorders of reading (acquired dyslexia) are common in patients with aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere stroke. Even when language functions recover sufficiently to enable the patient to return to work, continuing dyslexia often interferes significantly with job performance. This study will evaluate cognitive therapies for the treatment of acquired dyslexia. Each therapy is based upon a cognitive neuropsychological model of reading; the therapies target specific types of reading deficit and stem from the question of re-learning versus re-organization of function. The therapies focus on dyslexic disorders stemming from the following underlying deficits: 1) impaired access to the orthographic word form from the visual modality (pure alexia); 2) impaired orthographic/phonologic connections (phonologic/deep dyslexia); and 3) decreased ability to hold phonologic codes in memory (phonologic text alexia). Participants in this study will undergo a comprehensive and detailed battery of reading and reading-related tests to determine the underlying impairment causing the reading deficit. Based upon the results of these tests, the patient's dyslexic disorder will be characterized and, if appropriate, the patient will be assigned to one of the treatment programs devised specifically for that type of deficit. Treatment programs are evaluated for efficacy by comparing the accuracy and speed of reading pre- and post-treatment.

Official Title
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Cognitively-based Treatments of Acquired Dyslexias

Conditions
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Dyslexia, Acquired, Brain Injuries, Cerebrovascular Accident

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Cognitive Therapy to Improve Reading


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria Reading deficit subsequent to stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, or other brain damage Ability to attend 2-3 sessions per week for several months at Georgetown University in Washington, DC Exclusion Criteria History of developmental dyslexia or learning disabilities Best corrected vision less than 20/40 Less than 10 years of 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: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Behavioral: Cognitive Therapy to Improve Reading|nan|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Improved accuracy and/or speed of reading individual words aloud. |  |  | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Improved accuracy and/or speed of reading text aloud. |  |  | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Cognitive therapy, Aphasia therapy, Alexia, Acquired dyslexia, Phonological deficits, Orthographic deficits, Brain disorders, Brain injury, Stroke