Effects of PACE Technique in Patients With Aphasia

April 2, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Aphasia, a communication disorder often resulting from him brain injury such as stroke, impacts an individual's ability to understand or produce language. It can manifest in various forms, such as difficulties with speaking, writing, reading, and comprehension, which severely impair daily functioning and quality of life. For adults with aphasia, regaining communication skills is often a critical aspect of rehabilitation, demanding a combination of therapeutic strategies.

The Promoting Aphasics' Communicative Effectiveness (PACE) technique is a widely recognized approach to improve communication in individuals with aphasia. Developed in the late 20th century, the PACE technique focuses on naturalistic communication, encouraging patients to utilize any available communicative means verbal or non-verbal to convey messages effectively. By simulating real-world conversational scenarios in therapy, PACE aims to enhance both expressive and receptive communication skills, thereby facilitating better interaction in social contexts. This approach is especially beneficial for individuals with severe expressive language impairments, as it emphasizes the overall success of communication rather than linguistic accuracy.

A descriptive experimental research design was followed in the present study to explore the effect of PACE technique in adults with Aphasia. The study will be conducted at DHQ Faisalabad. The Duration of study is relied on 16 sessions. Three sessions will be conducted per week and the duration of a session is about forty minutes. Sample size (N=16) (Control group =8, Experimental group=8). Patients who were identified with mile to moderate level of Aphasia are age of 45 to 65 years old. Group A will be an experimental group (who will receive both Conventional and Promoting Aphasic Communicative Effectiveness technique). Group B will be a controlled group (who will receive just Conventional Therapy). A randomized Clinical trial will employ to collect data from participants approach at DHQ Faisalabad.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This approach is especially beneficial for individuals with severe expressive language impairments, as it emphasizes the overall success of communication rather than linguistic accuracy. A descriptive experimental research design was followed in the present study to explore the effect of PACE technique in adults with Aphasia. The study will be conducted at DHQ Faisalabad. Sample size (N=16) (Control group =8, Experimental group=8). Patients who were identified with mild to moderate level of Aphasia are age of 45 to 65 years old. Group A will be an experimental group (who will receive both Conventional and Promoting Aphasic Communicative Effectiveness technique). Group B will be a controlled group (who will receive just Conventional Therapy). A randomized Clinical trial will employ to collect data from participants approach at DHQ Faisalabad.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

16

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Faisalābad, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 38000
        • District Headquarter

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age: Patients from age 45-65 years will be included in the study

    1. Both gender male and female will be included in the study.
    2. Diagnosed Adults with aphasia will be included in the study.
    3. Severity level: Mild to moderate will be included in the study
    4. Only non-fluent type of Aphasia will be included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Adult with any co-morbid condition will be excluded from study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: pace therapy

In a clinical trial or intervention study, the number of arms refers to the different groups that receive specific types of treatment or intervention. Each "arm" represents a distinct study condition. Here are common types of arms in PACE (Promoting Aphasics' Communicative Effectiveness) intervention studies:

1. Experimental Arm (PACE Intervention) Participants receive PACE therapy, which encourages multimodal communication (speech, gestures, writing, drawing, etc.) in a conversational setting.

The focus is on functional communication rather than perfect speech production.
Behavioral: experimental
Promoting Aphasics' Communicative Effectiveness (PACE) is a functional approach to aphasia intervention that emphasizes natural, interactive communication between the clinician and the individual with aphasia. Unlike traditional therapy, which often focuses on accuracy, PACE encourages any form of communication-verbal or non-verbal-such as gestures, drawing, writing, or using augmentative devices. The therapy is conducted in a conversational setting, where both participants exchange new information, ensuring the person with aphasia takes an active role in communication. By reducing pressure and promoting alternative communication strategies, PACE enhances confidence, encourages spontaneous language use, and helps individuals regain functional communication skills in real-life situations
Active Comparator: control group conventional therapy
2. Control Arm (Standard Therapy or No Treatment) Participants receive either traditional speech therapy (e.g., structured drills, naming tasks) or no treatment for comparison.
Other: control group conventional therapy
Control Arm (Standard Therapy or No Treatment) Participants receive either traditional speech therapy (e.g., structured drills, naming tasks) or no treatment for comparison.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test
Time Frame: 6 to 8 weeks
The Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test (MAST) is a brief and efficient tool designed to assess language abilities in individuals with aphasia, particularly those who have experienced a stroke or brain injury. It is a standardized screening test that evaluates various aspects of language function, including expressive and receptive abilities. The MAST consists of simple tasks such as naming, repetition, following commands, and verbal fluency, allowing clinicians to quickly identify language impairments. It is widely used due to its reliability, ease of administration, and effectiveness in detecting aphasia in both clinical and research setting
6 to 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mehwish Ikhlaque, MS, Riphah International University, Lahore

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 18, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 20, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 29, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 2, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 2, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • rec/rcr&ahs/24/0682

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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