Cognitive Training to Enhance Aphasia Therapy (Co-TrEAT): A Feasibility Study.
Tijana Simic, Laura Laird, Nadia Brisson and 6 others
PMID 36188983WHAT IT FOUND
Combining naming therapy with computerized working memory training was feasible for six people with chronic aphasia, who completed all sessions.
Trends suggested the working memory group had better generalization to daily conversation and severity scores, but the sample was too small to confirm this.
Key findings
01All six participants completed 100% of both the naming therapy and the computerized working memory training sessions, indicating high feasibility.
02Participants in the working memory training group showed clinically significant improvements in overall aphasia severity and naming ability, unlike the control group.
03The working memory group demonstrated greater and more sustained improvements in self-rated and partner-rated communication confidence and effectiveness compared to the control group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was extremely small (n=6), which prevented statistical comparison between groups and limits the certainty of the findings. Recruitment targets were not met, raising questions about the generalizability of the participants who did enroll. Groups were not perfectly matched at baseline; the working memory group had milder aphasia but more severe anomia, which could influence outcomes. The usability score for the computerized training was acceptable but not excellent, suggesting the task may be too difficult or frustrating for some clients. The study was a pilot, so the efficacy results are preliminary and require confirmation in a larger trial.
Declared interests
One author has a patent pending involving the N-Igma software used for the working memory training. The study was supported by a grant from the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the working memory training was the sole cause of the improved functional communication outcomes. Both groups received the same intensive naming therapy, and the working memory group also had different baseline aphasia severity profiles, which may have influenced their capacity to benefit from the additional cognitive training.