NCT05653440 · University of Pittsburgh
Balancing Effortful and Errorless Learning in Naming Treatment for Aphasia
What this study is about
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by stroke and other acquired brain injuries that affects over two million people in the United States and which interferes with life participation and quality of life. Anomia (i.e., word- finding difficulty) is a primary frustration for people with aphasia.
View original scientific description
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by stroke and other acquired brain injuries that affects over two million people in the United States and which interferes with life participation and quality of life. Anomia (i.e., word- finding difficulty) is a primary frustration for people with aphasia. Picture-based naming treatments for anomia are widely used in aphasia rehabilitation, but current treatment approaches do not address the long-term retention of naming abilities and do not focus on using these naming abilities in daily life. The current research aims to evaluate novel anomia treatment approaches to improve long-term retention and generalization to everyday life. This study is one of two that are part of a larger grant. This record is for sub-study 1, which will adaptively balance effort and accuracy using speeded naming deadlines.
Interventions
BEHAVIORAL
Accuracy-maximized condition
Naming treatment condition in which the target will be immediately provided for repetition at picture onset.
BEHAVIORAL
Effort-maximized condition
Naming treatment condition in which participants will have up to 10 seconds to respond before the target is provided for repetition.
BEHAVIORAL
Effort-accuracy balanced condition
Naming treatment condition in which naming deadlines will be determined based on the balanced effort-to-accuracy benefit ratio formalized above, calculated on clinician-provided accuracy and response time ratings. Deadlines will be recalculated session-by-session to adjust to participant-specific treatment gains over time.
Primary outcome measures
Change in correct responses in Confrontation Naming of Treated Pictured Objects
Time frame: Initial assessment (pre-treatment), 3 months post-treatment
Confrontation naming accuracy of pictures targeted in each training condition will serve as a primary outcome. Individualized lists for each participant will be selected from a corpus of pictured objects. Performance will be evaluated twice at each timepoint. Change in performance from initial assessment to the 3-month follow-up timepoint on the treated items will serve as the primary outcome measure.
Who can participate
This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.
Inclusion criteria
- Existing diagnosis of chronic (\>6 months) aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
- Impaired performance on 2/8 sections of the Comprehensive Aphasia Test.
Exclusion criteria
- History of other acquired or progressive neurological disease.
- Significant language comprehension impairments
- Unmanaged drug / alcohol dependence.
- Severe diagnosed mood or behavioral disorders that require specialize mental health interventions.
Where
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Collaborators
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
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Frequently asked questions
What is a clinical trial?
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Will I receive a placebo instead of treatment?
When effective treatment exists, participants typically receive either the standard treatment plus the study intervention, or the standard treatment plus placebo. You would not be denied effective care. Placebos are primarily used when no proven treatment is available, or in addition to standard care. Your trial consent form will clearly explain what treatments you may receive.
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Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced Apr 13, 2026 · Source of record for eligibility and locations