RecruitingNot Applicable

Combined Exercise and Targeted Therapy for Post-Stroke Reading Deficits

United States70 participantsStarted 2024-04-18

Plain-language summary

The goal of the proposed project is to test the effectiveness of a novel hybrid approach to treatment of reading disorders after stroke, in which exercise training will be used in combination with a targeted reading treatment. This approach is expected to increase cerebral circulation and help to rebuild and strengthen the damaged phonological neural networks. Through this combinatory approach, the study aims to enhance the reading and language improvements seen with existing treatments.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 85 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * fluent and literate in English prior to stroke * 1st ever stroke * more than 3 months post-stroke * post-stroke reading deficits, defined as reading aloud accuracy \<83% for single words or \<65% for readable nonwords * living within a 50-mile radius from Kessler Foundation. Exclusion Criteria: * contraindication to MRI * prior neurological disease * developmental learning or reading disability (i.e., developmental dyslexia) * contraindication to exercise * concurrent speech and language therapy

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Reading Aloud

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

2 Alternative Forced Choice Computer Tasks

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia - 2nd edition (RCBA-2)

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF)

Timeframe: Baseline, after a single session of acute exercise, and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Resting State Functional Connectivity (rsFC)

Timeframe: Baseline, after a single session of acute exercise, and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Task-induced fMRI activation

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06213272

SponsorKessler Foundation

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2029-03-01

Contact for this trial

Olga Boukrina, PhD

19733243587 oboukrina@kesslerfoundation.org

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Stroke trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 85 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

What they're measuring

Reading Aloud

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

2 Alternative Forced Choice Computer Tasks

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia - 2nd edition (RCBA-2)

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF)

Timeframe: Baseline, after a single session of acute exercise, and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Resting State Functional Connectivity (rsFC)

Timeframe: Baseline, after a single session of acute exercise, and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)

Task-induced fMRI activation

Timeframe: Baseline and within 2 weeks of treatment completion (~10 weeks from study onset)