---
title: Effects of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) on Word Finding in Aphasia
nct_id: NCT05152979
overall_status: TERMINATED
phase: NA
sponsor: Göteborg University
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Anomia
countries: Sweden
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT05152979.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05152979"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2024-06-24
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:13:00.014Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Effects of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) on Word Finding in Aphasia

**Official Title:** Effects of On-line and In-clinic Intervention With Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) on Word Finding in Aphasia

**NCT ID:** [NCT05152979](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05152979)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** TERMINATED
- **Why Stopped:** After a pre study including two participants in a Single Case Research Design it was concluded that that the study design, needed to be slightly revised. A new registration has been submitted to the Clinical Trials, describing the new study design.
- **Phase:** NA
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 2
- **Lead Sponsor:** Göteborg University
- **Collaborators:** The Swedish Research Council
- **Conditions:** Anomia, Aphasia, Stroke
- **Start Date:** 2022-01-16
- **Completion Date:** 2024-04-15
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2024-06-24

## Brief Summary

Although there is evidence that speech-language therapy may improve speech in language disorders following left hemisphere stroke there is still a lack of evidence for which types of therapy are effective. Furthermore, in Sweden, as well as in several other countries, access to speech-language therapy is limited. The purpose of this clinical trial is to compare outcome from Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) provided as In-Clinic therapy (I-CT) or as synchronous telepractice therapy (TP-T).

## Detailed Description

Every year thousands of persons in Sweden suffer from brain damage resulting in anomia, that is, word finding difficulties affecting their ability to talk to other people. Anomia is one of the most common and persistent symptoms of aphasia following a left hemisphere stroke, but it is also common in in progressive neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (MS). There is evidence that more intensive speech language therapy may improve speech even in a chronic (\> six month post stroke) phase of aphasia. However, access to the necessary amount of speech language therapy is limited due to lack of financial resources as well as to limitations to service providers in more rural areas.

It has been suggested that telepractice may increase the access to speech-language therapy for more people but there is a lack of knowledge of whether there is a difference in outcome from interventions provided as In-Clinic therapy (I-CT) or as telepractice therapy (TP-T).

Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) is an anomia therapy focused on the production of short phrases. The participants generate thematically related verbs and nouns to strengthen the neural connections between the action (verb) and related thematic roles (agents and patients). From orally and written stimuli, the participants are asked to tell whom (subject) may do something (verb) with what (object) and then to do short expansions from this basic phrase. So far, results from single-case experimental design studies performed by Edmonds and colleagues are promising, showing generalization of outcomes to untrained items. Moreover, improvement in word finding was observed in other tasks like object and verb naming as well as sentence production and partly to connected speech.

The present project explores the effectiveness of VNeST, first in a small pilot study, then in a clinical trial including 80 participants. Participants with left hemisphere aphasia will be randomized to either an in-clinic therapy (I-CT) group or a telepractice therapy (TP-T) group and provided VNeST following the same treatment protocol based on Edmonds (2014).

Outcome measure include measures of naming ability on word- and phrase levels as well as in discourse. Measures of participant reported perceptions of functional communication and communicative participation as well as health related quality of life (PROMs) are also included.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 99 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** No

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Aphasia and subjective experience of word finding difficulties
* Diagnosed left-hemisphere stroke at least six months post-onset
* With correction, sufficient hearing and vision to be able to participate in training and assessment
* Primarily speaking Swedish for at least the last 15 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Other neurological injury or disease
* Moderately or severely impaired comprehension
* Moderate-severe apraxia of speech or dysarthria which may interfere with assessment
* Participation in any other speech-language treatment during the study
* Active substance dependence
```

## Arms

- **Telepractice treatment (TP-T)** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Participants will receive 30 hours of training, 2-3 times a week in ten weeks using Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST).

Treatment will be done with a speech-language pathologist providing the therapy through an online platform.
- **In-clinic treatment (IC-T)** (ACTIVE_COMPARATOR) — Participants will receive 30 hours of training, 2-3 times a week in ten weeks using Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST).

Treatment will be done with a speech-language pathologist providing the therapy in person at a clinic.

## Interventions

- **Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST)** (BEHAVIORAL) — Participants are presented with a verb (representing an activity, for example, driving) orally and in writing. The participants are first asked to name someone who may perform the given activity (an agent, for example, a chauffeur), then to name an object which the given activity may be performed with (a patient, for example, a limousine). Several types of semantic clues and assistance are provided if the participant is having difficulties finding adequate nouns. This procedure is repeated for three different agents and objects related to the given verb. The participants are then asked to choose one of the three phrases participants have created and expand on it by telling where, when and why the agent is performing the activity. After this the participant are given sentences (with several foils) including the activity as well as agents and patients, and are asked to indicate whether the sentences are correct or not.

## Primary Outcomes

- **Change from baseline in naming ability of trained items at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_ — Naming of ten trained phrases including an agent (subject), verb and a patient (object) with moving picture stimuli. Possible score ranges from 0 (worst) to 40 (best).
- **Change from baseline in naming ability of trained items at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_ — Naming of ten trained phrases including an agent (subject), verb and a patient (object) with moving picture stimuli. Possible score ranges from 0 (worst) to 40 (best).

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Change from baseline in naming ability of untrained items at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in naming ability of untrained items at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects and actions) at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects and actions) at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects) at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in confrontation naming of single words (objects) week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in connected speech at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in connected speech at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in self reported communicative participation in everyday life at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in self reported communicative participation in everyday life at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in self reported quality of life at week 10.** _(time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks.)_
- **Change from baseline in self reported quality of life at week 20.** _(time frame: Baseline, 20 weeks.)_

## Locations (1)

- University of Gothenburg, Västra Götalandsregionen, Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.whyStopped` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.collaborators` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.university of gothenburg, västra götalandsregionen|gothenburg|västra götaland county|sweden` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT05152979.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05152979*  
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