Pilot Results for ECoLoGiC-Tx: A New Conversation-Level Intervention Improving Language in People With Moderate to Severe Aphasia

Abstract

Purpose: This study reports pilot data for a novel intervention, ECoLoGiC-Tx, delivered to four people with moderate to severe aphasia. ECoLoGiC-Tx addresses language and communication in unstructured, participant-led conversation. The speech-language pathologist (SLP) uses a framework to choose turns that facilitate a social interaction. When communication breakdown occurs, the SLP implements a least-to-most hierarchy to maximize the people with aphasia's (PWA's) independence in self-repair. ECoLoGiC-Tx draws its theoretical underpinnings from conversation analysis and theories of rehabilitation, including principles of complexity, neuroplasticity, and learning. Method: Four PWA attended 60-min sessions twice weekly for 10 weeks. Assessment occurred at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-week maintenance. Outcomes included established discourse measures for conversation and monologue, tests of language and functional communication, and patient-/family-reported outcome measures (P/FROMs). Discourse samples were collected three times per assessment. Interrater reliability and fidelity for assessment and treatment procedures are reported. Results: Participants presented with Broca's aphasia (one moderate, one severe) or conduction aphasia (one moderate, one severe). Each demonstrated improvements in discourse, test batteries, and P/FROMs. They all demonstrated reduced aphasia severity measured by the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised at posttreatment or maintenance. Change in conversation and monologue was robust for three participants, but was mixed for one person (P1: moderate Broca's aphasia). P/FROMs indicated improvement at posttreatment and maintenance for all participants. Most treatment gains were maintained at 6-week follow-up. Conclusions: This study provides promising results for ECoLoGiC-Tx to improve language function of people with chronic moderate to severe aphasia. Generalization occurred to tests, functional communication, spontaneous conversation, and structured monologue tasks.