Telerehabilitation for aphasia treatment
Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery (C-STAR): Telerehabilitation for Aphasia (TERRA)
This study tests whether a new online therapy for people with aphasia after a stroke works better than traditional in-person therapy.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 21 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of South Carolina Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Columbia, South Carolina) |
| Trial ID | NCT04682223 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This project aims to compare the effectiveness of telerehabilitation, known as Aphasia Remote Therapy (ART), with traditional In-Clinic Therapy (I-CT) for patients with aphasia following a stroke. Aphasia is a language disorder that significantly impacts communication and quality of life, and access to therapy can be limited, especially in rural areas. By utilizing telerehabilitation, the study seeks to provide a more accessible option for patients who may not receive adequate in-person therapy. The trial will evaluate the efficacy of semantically-focused and phonologically-focused therapy tasks delivered remotely.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 21-80 who have experienced a left hemisphere stroke at least 12 months prior and primarily speak English.
Not a fit: Patients with severely limited speech production or auditory comprehension that would hinder participation in therapy may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly improve access to effective aphasia therapy for stroke survivors, enhancing their communication abilities and overall quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: While telerehabilitation has been explored in physical therapy for stroke, this study represents a novel approach specifically targeting aphasia therapy.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must have sustained a left hemisphere ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at least 12 months prior to enrollment. 2. Participants must primarily speak English for at least the past 20 years. 3. Participants must be capable of giving informed consent or indicating another to provide informed consent. 4. Participants must be between 21-80 years of age. 5. Participants must be magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible (e.g., no metal implants, not claustrophobic) on a 3-Tesla (3T) scanner. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must not have previous neurological disease affecting the brain (e.g. history of traumatic brain injury). 2. Participants must not have severely limited speech production (severe unintelligibility) and/or auditory comprehension that interferes with adequate participation in the therapy provided (i.e., WAB-R Spontaneous Speech rating scale score of 0-1 or WAB-R Comprehension score of 0-1). 3. Participants must not have a history of stroke to the right hemisphere of the brain. 4. Participants must not have a bilateral, cerebellar or brainstem stroke. 5. Participants must not have anything that makes them be 3T MRI incompatible 6. Insufficient intelligible speech to provide accurate responses with discourse/naming.
Where this trial is running
Columbia, South Carolina
- University of South Carolina Aphasia Lab — Columbia, South Carolina, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Julius Fridriksson, Ph.D. — University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Sara Sayers, M.S.
- Email: ssayers@mailbox.sc.edu
- Phone: 803-777-2693
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.