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Simic T, Laird L, Brisson N, Moretti K, Théorêt JL, Black SE, Eskes GA, Leonard C, Rochon E. Cognitive Training to Enhance Aphasia Therapy (Co-TrEAT): A Feasibility Study. Front Rehabilit Sci 2022; 3:815780. [PMID: 36188983 PMCID: PMC9397805 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2022.815780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Persons with aphasia (PWA) often have deficits in cognitive domains such as working memory (WM), which are negatively correlated with recovery, and studies have targeted WM deficits in aphasia therapy. To our knowledge, however, no study has examined the efficacy of multi-modal training which includes both WM training and targeted language therapy. This pilot project examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of combining WM training and naming therapy to treat post-stroke PWA. Chronic PWA were randomly assigned to either the a) Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) and WM intervention (WMI) condition (i.e., a computerized adaptive dual n-back task), or b) PCA and active control condition (WMC). Participants received face-to-face PCA therapy 3 times/week for 5 weeks, and simultaneously engaged in WM training or the active control condition five times/week, independently at home. Six PWA were enrolled, 3 in each condition. Feasibility metrics were excellent for protocol compliance, retention rate and lack of adverse events. Recruitment was less successful, with insufficient participants for group analyses. Participants in the WMI (but not the WMC) condition demonstrated a clinically significant (i.e., > 5 points) improvement on the Western Aphasia Battery- Aphasia Quotient (WAB-R AQ) and Boston Naming Test after therapy. Given the small sample size, the performance of two individuals, matched on age, education, naming accuracy pre-treatment, WAB-R AQ and WM abilities was compared. Participant WMI-3 demonstrated a notable increase in WM training performance over the course of therapy; WMC-2 was the matched control. After therapy, WMI-3's naming accuracy for the treated words improved from 30 to 90% (compared to 30–50% for WMC-2) with a 7-point WAB-R AQ increase (compared to 3 for WMC-2). Improvements were also found for WMI-3 but not for WMC-2 on ratings of communicative effectiveness, confidence and some conversation parameters in discourse. This feasibility study demonstrated excellent results for most aspects of Co-TrEAT. Recruitment rate, hampered by limited resources, must be addressed in future trials; remotely delivered aphasia therapy may be a possible solution. Although no firm conclusions can be drawn, the case studies suggest that WM training has the potential to improve language and communication outcomes when combined with aphasia therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Simic
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montreal, QC, Canada
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Tijana Simic
| | - Laura Laird
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nadia Brisson
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kathy Moretti
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Luc Théorêt
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra E. Black
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gail A. Eskes
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Carol Leonard
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Rochon
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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