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Purpose

The purpose of this investigation is to implement a computational model that can predict and optimize training and cross-language generalization patterns for bilingual persons with aphasia (BPA). The proposed work will determine the best possible treatment program for each individual patient even before they are rehabilitated. In addition, the computational model allows specification of variables such as age of acquisition, language exposure/proficiency, impairment and their systematic influence on a range of language rehabilitation outcomes.

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 85 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Any number of years of education - Bilingual: speaking both Spanish and English (or Chinese and English) with any degree of language proficiency prior to stroke - Aphasia secondary to a left-hemisphere stroke (diagnosed by a neurologist on the basis of clinical CT/MRI imaging or medical reports) - Aphasia resulting from stroke or dementia - Naming deficits must be present with concurrent lexical/semantic impairment - Visual and auditory acuity sufficient for all assessment and treatment procedures - Ability to understand study and follow study procedures for the entire length of the study

Exclusion Criteria

  • Premorbid history of speech/language disorder - Proficient in more than just Spanish and English (or Chinese and English) - Overt, behaviorally noticeable, attentional limitations that interfere with completing the experimental tasks - Active medical disease that may compromise participation (e.g., cancer undergoing acute treatment, unstable diabetes, renal or hepatic insufficiency, fluctuating systemic immunological disease such as systemic lupus erythematosis, etc.) - Currently taking medications that are known to exert significant effects on cognitive processes, such as neuroleptics, steroids, anticholinesterase inhibitors, etc. - Current drug or alcohol use or dependence that would interfere with adherence to study requirements, in the opinion of the principal investigator - Inability or unwillingness of individual to give written informed consent - Diagnosed with mental illness other than active depression - Neurological condition other than that which resulted in aphasia

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Model-based 		Semantic Feature Analysis training will be provided in the language that was selected by the computational model.
  • Behavioral: Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)
    SFA training entails having the speech-language pathologist (SLP) guide the participant through generation of pertinent semantic features for pictured treatment items (e.g., category membership, physical description, location of item in context, action associated with item). Treatment is applied to a set of items in the context of single-subject, multiple baseline designs so that replication of treatment effects could be evaluated within and across participants. Treatment will be administered two times per week until prescribed accuracy levels were met during treatment probes or a maximum number of treatment sessions was completed.
Active Comparator
Model-opposite 		Semantic Feature Analysis training will be provided in the language opposite to that which was selected by the computational model.
  • Behavioral: Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA)
    SFA training entails having the speech-language pathologist (SLP) guide the participant through generation of pertinent semantic features for pictured treatment items (e.g., category membership, physical description, location of item in context, action associated with item). Treatment is applied to a set of items in the context of single-subject, multiple baseline designs so that replication of treatment effects could be evaluated within and across participants. Treatment will be administered two times per week until prescribed accuracy levels were met during treatment probes or a maximum number of treatment sessions was completed.
No Intervention
Sub-Study: Computational Modeling for Bilingual Dementia and Semantic Decline 		This is a sub-study aimed at building a computational model to simulate bilingual dementia and semantic decline.

Recruiting Locations

Boston University Sargent College
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Contact:
Swathi Kiran, PhD
617-358-5478
kirans@bu.edu

More Details

Status
Unknown status
Sponsor
Boston University Charles River Campus

Study Contact

Nishaat Mukadam, MA
617-353-2706
mukadamn@bu.edu

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.