VR and Scrip Training of PWA, Randomized Controlled Trial

Can Immersive Virtual Reality Magnify Treatment Outcomes of Script Training on Cantonese Speakers with Chronic Aphasia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this RCT is to investigate if computerized script training may promote functional communication and nonverbal cognitive functions of Cantonese-speaking PWA, and whether VR may further magnify the treatment outcomes.

The main research questions are:

1. Can script training promote verbal functional communication of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
2. Can script training enhance nonverbal cognitive functions of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
3. Can VR magnify verbal and nonverbal treatment outcomes of script training of PWA?

Inclusion Criteria:

1. a stroke onset more than six months, with an Aphasia Quotient (AQ) below 96.4, as evaluated by the Cantonese version of Western Aphasia Battery (CAB; Yiu, 1992),
2. premorbid fluent Cantonese speakers,
3. aged between 30 and 80 years,
4. no reported progressive neurogenic disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's disease,
5. no motor speech disorders of moderate to severe level, and
6. normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing functions

Exclusion Criteria:

1. concurrent participation in other aphasia treatment trials, and
2. incompatibility with immersive VR exposure such as complains of nausea, headache, or other severe discomforts during trial use of a head-mounted device during screening.