Novel participant-level meta-analytic evidence for AbSANT efficacy.
Chaleece W Sandberg, Hannah Khorassani, Teresa Gray and 1 others
PMID 37608806WHAT IT FOUND
Training abstract words with AbSANT improved retrieval of those words and generalized to related concrete words.
This effect was stronger than training concrete words. Patients with milder aphasia or better semantic skills saw the biggest gains. The therapy is most effective when targeting abstract concepts.
Key findings
01AbSANT training resulted in meaningful improvements in word retrieval for directly trained items and generalization to untrained items in the same category, effects that were distinct from simple exposure.
02Training abstract words produced larger and more robust improvements in direct retrieval and generalization to concrete words compared to training concrete words.
03Patients with milder aphasia, better executive function, and stronger semantic processing abilities showed greater treatment gains and better maintenance of generalization effects.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The analysis relied on aggregated data from single-subject designs, which limits the ability to draw firm causal conclusions compared to a large randomized controlled trial. The study did not use traditional p-values for significance, instead relying on author-defined thresholds for 'meaningful' change, which introduces subjectivity. Participants who reached criterion early had shorter training phases, which may have skewed the data for generalization effects in those with higher semantic abilities. The sample size for certain subgroup analyses (e.g., concrete training phases) was smaller than for abstract training. Long-term maintenance was assessed only through the immediate withdrawal phase, not at extended follow-up points.
Declared interests
The work was partially funded by the NIDCD/NIH (grant #R21DC016708), the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and a San Francisco State University Instructional Related Activities Grant. No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume AbSANT is equally effective for all word types or all patients. The data show it is significantly more effective for training abstract words than concrete ones, and patients with severe aphasia or poor semantic skills may not achieve the same level of generalization or maintenance as those with milder deficits.