Comparing Traditional Semantic Feature Analysis (tSFA) and Semantic Feature Analysis + Metacognitive Strategy Training (SFA+MST)
Comparing the Effectiveness of Traditional Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) Versus SFA Plus Metacognitive Strategy Training (SFA+MST) for People With Acquired Aphasia
Who can join
Ages 18 to 89 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Have aphasia due to a single acute event (e.g., left-hemisphere stroke, traumatic brain injury) * Be at least six-months post aphasia-onset, * Be a proficient English speaker, * Have normal or corrected to normal hearing (i.e., hearing aids) and vision (i.e., eyeglasses), * Have no history of neurodegenerative disease (e.g., dementia), severe motor speech disorder, significant mental illness, psychiatric disorder, drug/alcohol abuse, or neurological condition that could influence their cognitive, language, and memory systems Exclusion Criteria: * A history of neurodegenerative disease (e.g., dementia), severe motor speech disorder, significant mental illness, psychiatric disorder, drug/alcohol abuse, or neurological condition that could influence their cognitive, language, and memory systems, * Children under the age of 18, * Adults over the age of 89, * Uncorrected hearing and vision.
About the study
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of traditional Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) treatment to a modified SFA protocol that includes Metacognitive Strategy Training (SFA+MST) for adults with acquired aphasia. The main questions it aims to answer are:
* What are the comparative outcomes in picture naming accuracy and strategy use during picture naming following 2 months of traditional SFA versus SFA + MST in adults with acquired aphasia? * What are the comparative outcomes in percent of informative content and rate of informative content during spontaneous speech production following 2 months of traditional SFA versus SFA + MST in adults with acquired aphasia?
Researchers will compare outcomes between these two treatments to see if SFA+MST yields larger effects in picture naming and spontaneous speech outcomes than traditional SFA.
Participants will complete:
* 5-7 pre-treatment assessment sessions where they will be asked to name pictures, tell stories/describe pictures, answer questions, and complete questionnaires, * 3 treatment sessions of SFA \*OR\* SFA+MST per week for 8 weeks, for a total of 24 sessions, * 7 weekly probes (i.e., short, intermittent assessments throughout the treatment phase), * 3 post-treatment assessment sessions immediately after treatment ends, where they will complete the same assessment tasks as they did pre-treatment (e.g., naming pictures, telling stories, etc.), * 2 retention assessment sessions, one 30 days and the other 60 days following the final treatment session, where they will be asked to name pictures, tell stories/describe pictures, and describe what they learned during the study.
What is being tested
- Semantic Feature Analysis (traditional) (behavioral)
- Semantic Feature Analysis + Metacognitive Strategy Training (behavioral)
Sponsor: Teachers College, Columbia University · Participants: 40 · Started: Jul 28, 2025
Contact the study team
- Victoria Tilton-Bolowsky, Ph.D. CCC-SLP · Phone: 212-678-8302
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07036406
Locations in the U.S.
| New York | Teachers College, Columbia University, New York |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.