Classical Conditioning Training for Aphasia. A Telemedicine Approach.

Improving Word Repetition Training Using Classical Conditioning With a Computer Based Telemedicine Approach: Evidence From a Study on 12 Person With Chronic Aphasia.

This study aimed at investigating the suitability of a classical conditioning for the treatment of anomic disorder. In this study 12 patients suffering from pure anomia in the chronic stage of the disease underwent a word repetition training with a computerized telemedicine protocol. Each patient trained two word sets, one in a conditioned and the other in a non-conditioned training modality; a third non trained set served as control set.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aphasia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Conditioned word repetition training

Detailed Description

In this study, a computer based word repetition protocol was administered at the distance to 12 pure anomic patients in the chronic stage of the disease. The to be repeated words were presented alongside the corresponding pictures. The timing of word and picture presentation was manipulated in order to investigate the suitability of classical conditioning to reteach the association between pictures and their names. Data were analyzed at the group and at the single subject level with the aim of establishing the relative efficacy of the conditioned and non-conditioned word-repetition modality and the cognitive features predicting therapy success. In keeping with preliminary results obtained on a single case study, conditioning turned out to improve therapy gain at the group level. Moreover, hints were found suggesting less generalization to untreated words in conditioned compared to non-conditioned training. Non-word repetition skills was the only feature in the participants cognitive profile which was reliably linked to the therapy outcome.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aphasic patients with word finding difficulty
• Must be able to repeat single words

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cognitive impairment
• Impaired single word comprehension

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Anomic Patients; Pure Anomic Patients underwent to conditioned word repetition training or traditional one.	Behavioral: Conditioned word repetition training; In the classical conditioning training the onset of the visual stimulus preceded that of the auditory stimulus with a short onset asynchrony, and both stimuli co-terminated. By contrast, in the training without conditioning the auditory stimulus was administered first and the visual stimulus appeared short after the off-set of the auditory one.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Training effect in the treated word set	Differences between accuracy pre and post in the treated word set	immediately before and immediately after the training protocol (duration of the training protocol: 6 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Giovanni A Carlesimo, MD, I.C.C.S Fondazione Santa Lucia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): April 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): November 1, 2017
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): November 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 18, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 18, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): December 22, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): December 26, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 21, 2017
• Last Verified: December 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Speech Disorders; Aphasia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No