Digital Interventions in Neuro-Rehabilitation: Gotcha!
Project Description
Gotcha! research project is a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of the Gotcha! app-based naming therapy for people with Alzheimer’s disease who have difficulty naming people they know well. This study will also examine two different versions of the therapy (Gotcha!: therapy only; Gotcha! maintenance: therapy followed by attenuated ‘maintenance’ version of the therapy) to evaluate which version optimises recovery in naming accuracy.
Funding body
National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
Aims
This study aims to test the clinical efficacy of Gotcha! by answering the following research questions:
- Following the therapy, do participants make a clinically relevant improvement in the naming of trained items in comparison to untrained control items?
- Following the therapy, do participants make improvements in social activity and participation and participant and/or carer reported outcome measures?
- Does switching to Gotcha! maintenance keep participants at their maximum achieved level following therapy compared to standard Gotcha!?
- Is there a relationship between scores on a neuropsychological battery of tests and how much participants improve in naming following the therapy?
- Is there a relationship between brain-based data (structural MRI and functional MEG) and how much participants improve in naming following the therapy?
Design and Methods
For this project, we are recruiting 44 participants with Alzheimer’s disease and who have difficulty naming people they know well and 20 healthy control participants to take part in the small-scale, randomised clinical trial. Participants will be randomised to one of the two versions of the therapy: 1) Gotcha!; 2) Gotcha! maintenance. Participants will receive 6-18 weeks of therapy with the Gotcha! app and will complete neuropsychological assessments and brain imaging scans before and after the therapy.
Benefits
The Gotcha! therapy app will provide the opportunity for the necessary increased rehabilitation to help people recover lost language function following brain disease. This will alleviate NHS Speech and Language Therapist time and put users in control of when and where they carry out practice-based language therapy.
Project members
Professor Alex Leff (Chief Investigator)
Dr Catherine Doogan
Professor Jenny Crinion
Mr Henry Coley-Fisher
Miss Emily Upton
SoftV (Software Development Team)
Date commencing
April 2019
Expected date of completion
Data collection: July 2021
Project: December 2021
Status
Recruiting