Treatment Intensity - Apraxia of Speech



Status:Recruiting
Conditions:Neurology
Therapuetic Areas:Neurology
Healthy:No
Age Range:21 - 80
Updated:2/28/2019
Start Date:May 1, 2015
End Date:December 31, 2019
Contact:Julie L Wambaugh, PhD
Email:Julie.Wambaugh@va.gov
Phone:(801) 582-1565

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Effect of Intensity of Treatment on Rehabilitation of Acquired Apraxia of Speech

A growing neurorehabilitation literature suggests that intense treatment may be desired to
maximize the effects of therapy following neurologic injury. This investigation is designed
to facilitate the development of efficacious, clinically applicable treatment for acquired
apraxia of speech by examining the effects of intensity of treatment (e.g., 9 hours per week
vs. 3 hours per week, while holding total number of sessions constant) with a group of
speakers who have chronic apraxia of speech and aphasia.

This research is designed to examine the effects of treatment intensity on outcomes
associated with an established treatment for acquired apraxia of speech (AOS). Intensity in
the form of dose frequency and total intervention duration will be evaluated with Sound
Production Treatment (SPT). The investigators will examine the effects of intense dose
frequency (nine, one-hour sessions per week) and traditional dose frequency (three, one hour
sessions per week). Total number of treatment sessions will be held constant allowing for
comparison of total intervention duration (27 sessions over 3 weeks versus 27 sessions over 9
weeks). A two-phase, group cross-over design will be used. Thirty-six participants with
chronic aphasia and AOS will be quasi-randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups -
intense first or traditional first (18 per group). One group will receive SPT applied with
intense dose frequency (SPT-I) followed by SPT applied with traditional dose frequency
(SPT-T). The other group will receive the treatments in the reverse order (SPT-T followed by
SPT-I). A two week no treatment interval will separate the treatment phases. The outcomes of
interest will address changes in trained speech behaviors, untrained speech behaviors, and
speech intelligibility and patient-rated communicative functioning.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Veterans and non Veterans

- Males or females

- Stroke survivor who is at least 6 months post-stroke

- Speaker of English since childhood

- Ability to pass a pure-tone hearing screening (aided or unaided)

- currently non-hospitalized

- Age 21 to 90 years

Exclusion Criteria:

- neurological condition other than stroke

- currently clinically depressed

- history of speech/language problems prior to stroke

- untreated psychopathology
We found this trial at
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15240
Phone: 412-360-6427
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Salt Lake City, Utah 84148
Principal Investigator: Julie L Wambaugh, PhD
Phone: 801-582-1565
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Salt Lake City, UT
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