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Optimizing and understanding semantic feature analysis treatment for aphasia: A randomized controlled comparative-effectiveness trial

Award Number: R01DC017475
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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Optimizing and understanding semantic feature analysis treatment for aphasia: A randomized controlled comparative-effectiveness trial - This randomized comparative effectiveness trial examines whether active manipulation of a key component of semantic feature analysis (SFA) treatment for word-finding difficulty in aphasia improves outcomes. The key component in question is the number of semantic features that persons with aphasia are asked to generate on each treatment trial. Study participants (n=40) will be recruited and randomized to receive either a many- features version of SFA or a few-features version. In the many-features condition, participants will be asked to generate 11 semantic features for each word practiced. Participants assigned to the few-features condition will be asked to generate 5 features for each word practiced. The total treatment time will be equated in the two conditions. Because each trial will take less time in the few-features condition, participants in this group will cycle through the lists of treated items more often, providing them with more opportunities to practice the phonological form of the targets, at the expense of more elaborated feature generation practice. Correspondingly, the many-features group will receive more practice generating semantic features, at the expense of few opportunities to practice the target word forms. Study participants will be housed locally at the Pittsburgh site for five weeks during which they will receive 60 hours of SFA treatment with pre- and post-treatment assessment of their ability to name pictures of treated and untreated, semantically related nouns. Other secondary outcomes, including measures of connected speech and patient-reported communication ability will also be collected. In order to address unresolved questions about the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of SFA, participants will also receive concurrent pre- and post-treatment assessment of automatic word processing ability using eye-tracking methods and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants will also be asked to return to Pittsburgh for one-month follow-up language, eye-tracking, and fMRI testing. The language testing results will be used to determine the appropriate balance of feature generation practice vs. word form practice to optimize SFA outcomes. The eye-tracking results will be used to infer whether SFA’s positive effects can be attributed to improved activation of lexical-semantic representations, improved ability to inhibit competing representations, or both. The fMRI results will be used to identify the brain networks and activation changes associated with changes in naming ability resulting from SFA. This study will provide theoretically and clinically relevant information about how aphasia treatment should be delivered and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying its effects.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2023	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	C UNIVERSITY DR BLDG 30 RM	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	8/13/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $460,119 )
2023	2023	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	8/3/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$460,119
														Subtotal = $460,119

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $491,537 )
2022	2022	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	4	8/22/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$481,358
2022	2022	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	3	5/12/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$10,179
2022	2021	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	1/7/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2021	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	3	1/31/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $491,537

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $552,739 )
2021	2021	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	3	8/10/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$552,739
2021	2020	VETERANS HEALTH FOUNDATION	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	11/5/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $552,739

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $552,739 )
2020	2020	VETERANS RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF PITTSBURGH	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	2	8/21/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$552,739
2020	2019	VETERANS RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF PITTSBURGH	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	1	1/30/2020	NEW	$0
2020	2019	VETERANS RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF PITTSBURGH	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	11/1/2019	NEW	$0
2020	2019	VETERANS RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF PITTSBURGH	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	11/20/2019	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $552,739

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $522,433 )
2019	2019	VETERANS RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF PITTSBURGH	UNIVERSITY DRIVE C	PITTSBURGH	PA	15240	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/22/2019	NEW	$522,433
														Subtotal = $522,433

Grand Total All Awards = $2,579,567

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Optimizing and understanding semantic feature analysis treatment for aphasia: A randomized controlled comparative-effectiveness trial

Award Number: R01DC017475

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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