PCT for Speech, Language, and Cognitive Intervention in Stroke Patients

Summary

Given the evolving uses of technology in rehabilitation, the investigators aimed to measure the change in aphasia severity using PCT App, a digital therapeutic adapted from Constant Therapy (CT), a dynamic, personalized therapy program for people with cognitive, speech, or language disorders.

The entire study, including recruitment, enrollment, assessment and treatment were conducted remotely.

The proposed pilot study seeks to compare performance of PCT therapy vs. conventional workbook intervention for stroke patients. The investigators hypothesize that the experimental (PCT) group will experience greater gains on the WAB-AQ at follow-up compared to baseline compared to a control (workbook) group.

Subjects were prospectively assigned to an experimental or active control group in a random order with both groups balanced for their baseline level of speech, language and/or cognitive ability:

1. Experimental Group: Participants were instructed to use PCT for at least 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week. Performance and usage data were automatically reported by the PCT software to the treating clinician and was used to modify task assignment over time and monitor participant adherence to the treatment program.
2. Active Control Group: Participants were provided with a standard regime of paper workbooks (e.g. Workbook for Aphasia; Brubaker, 2006) that are typically used by clinicians with persons with aphasia (PWA) for at least 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week. Notably, the control procedure employed here is similar to a large-scale study examining technology as a treatment option by Palmer and colleagues (2015).

The treatment period was 10 weeks. All participants received a bimonthly check-in through video-chat with a member of the research staff during the treatment period.

Conditions

• Aphasia, Acquired

Interventions

OTHER

PCT

PCT is designed to deliver similar therapy as is conventionally provided in-clinic by a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), which the patient can access from any location using the application installed on a supported tablet. The device functions by allowing clinicians to create a personalized therapy program for each patient from 75 categories of clinical therapies, which patients may access from their tablet device remotely. The PCT software is comprised primarily of authentication and an algorithm that suggests advancement of the therapy program based on observed patient deficits and progress.

OTHER

Workbooks

Subjects in this group will be provided with a standard regime of paper workbooks (e.g. Workbook for Aphasia: Exercises for Expressive and Receptive Language Functioning; Brubaker, 2006) that are typically used by clinicians to practice therapy tasks with individuals. Notably, the control procedure employed here is similar to that employed on a large-scale study examining technology as a treatment option and involved usual care control group by Palmer and colleagues (2015).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Learning Corp

  lead INDUSTRY

Principal Investigators

• Swathi Kiran, PhD, CCC-SLP · The Learning Corp

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-03-18

Primary Completion

2020-02-20

Completion

2020-02-20

Countries

• United States

Study Locations