Clinical trial NCT02554513: Apraxia of Speech: Comparison of EPG Treatment (Tx) and Sound Production Treatment (SPT)
Official title: Apraxia of Speech: A Comparison of EPG Treatment & Sound Production Treatment
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Apraxia of Speech
Aphasia, Acquired
Speech Disorders
Keywords: Apraxia of Speech
Treatment
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2015-09-18
Enrollment: 6
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 21
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: Each participant received each arm of treatment
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of the proposed research is to examine the effects of two treatment approaches on speech production involving speakers with chronic apraxia of speech (AOS) and aphasia. The planned investigation is designed to examine the acquisition, maintenance and generalization effects of each treatment. One approach, electropalatography (EPG) uses visual biofeedback in conjunction with articulatory-kinematic treatment and the other approach, sound production treatment (SPT) is one of the most systematically studied articulatory-kinematic treatments for AOS.

Detailed description: EPG has been used to treat apraxia of speech (AOS) as well as other speech production disorders (i.e., articulation disorders \& cleft palate). SPT is one of the most systematically studied treatment approaches for AOS. Both treatment approaches are considered clinical treatment approaches/standards of care for AOS. The pseudopalate used in conjunction with EPG treatment is an acceptable device for treating speech production disorders including AOS. The pseudopalate is custom-fit for each patient and is similar to a dental retainer and is considered minimally invasive.

The purpose of this research is to systematically examine the effects of treatment on speech production using EPG treatment vs. an SPT approach. The planned investigation is intended to explicate the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization effects of each treatment approach. The specific experimental questions to be addressed are as follows:

1. Will treatment using an EPG approach or an SPT approach result in greater accuracy of articulation of trained speech sounds produced in words?
2. Will treatment using an EPG approach or an SPT approach result in greater accuracy of articulation of untrained exemplars of trained speech sounds produced in words (i.e., response generalization)?
3. Will treatment using an EPG approach or an SPT approach result in greater long term maintenance effects for trained speech sounds?
4. Do different treatment approaches result in distinct ratings of functional communication skills via the Aphasia Communication Outcome Measure (ACOM; Doyle et al., 2012) and an outcome measure of speech intelligibility using the Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech (AIDS; Yorkston \& Beukelman, 1981)?

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Veterans or non Veterans with apraxia of speech who reside in the Salt Lake City region (commutable),
* 6 months or more post stroke or other focal brain injury, no other neurological conditions
* native English speakers, hearing adequate for experimental task (e.g., pass puretone screening at 35dB at 500, 1K, 2K Hz or adequate aided hearing)
* non linguistic cognition within normal limits

Exclusion Criteria:

* less than 6 months post stroke
* insufficient hearing, insufficient non linguistic cognitive skills
* neurological conditions other than stroke
* unable to attend treatment in the Salt Lake City vicinity

Primary outcomes:
measure: Speech Production: Percent Change in Treated Items Immediately Post Treatment
timeFrame: Baseline vs. Immediately Post Treatment (7 week treatment period)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Speech Production: Percent Change in Untreated Items (Related Items) Immediately Post Treatment
timeFrame: Baseline vs. Immediately Post Treatment (7 week treatment period)
measure: Speech Production: Percent Change for Treated Items After the Completion of Treatment
timeFrame: Baseline vs. 7 weeks post treatment [measured immediately after the completion of each treatment]
measure: Functional Communication Skills: T-Score
timeFrame: Baseline vs. 10 weeks after the completion of all treatment [measured at pre-treatment and post-treatment; conclusion of all treatment]
measure: Speech Intelligibility: Percentage
timeFrame: Baseline vs. 10 weeks post all treatment [measured at pre-treatment and post-treatment; conclusion of all treatment]
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Salt Lake City
country: United States
facility: VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT
state: Utah
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT
name: Shannon C Mauszycki, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Mauszycki SC, Wambaugh JL. Acquired Apraxia of Speech: Comparison of Electropalatography Treatment and Sound Production Treatment. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2020 Feb 21;29(1S):511-529. doi: 10.1044/2019_AJSLP-CAC48-18-0223. Epub 2019 Nov 6.