Aphasia, AcquiredVRSTPWANCT06722092
VR and Scrip Training of PWA, Randomized Controlled Trial
A study testing VR-based script training and Conventional script training in people with Aphasia, Acquired and Chronic Stroke, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- What is being tested?
- VR-based script training and Conventional script training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 105 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Jun 2025to Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 30 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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),
- premorbid fluent Cantonese speakers,
- aged between 30 and 80 years,
- no reported progressive neurogenic disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's disease,
- no motor speech disorders of moderate to severe level, and
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing functions
Who cannot join
- concurrent participation in other aphasia treatment trials, and
- 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.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: 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:
- Can script training promote verbal functional communication of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Can script training enhance nonverbal cognitive functions of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Can VR magnify verbal and nonverbal treatment outcomes of script training of PWA?
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- Being tested
- VR-based script training, Conventional script training
- Keywords
- functional communication, randomized controlled trial, script training, immersive reality, aphasia intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Aphasia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR-based script trainingBehavioural
The PWA will wear a head-mounted VR device (e.g., Metaverse Oculus Quest 2 or other commercially available devices) for 30 minutes, which intends to create an immersive environment for training. Scripts trained in the computerized script training program in a particular session will be practiced. Cinematic 360˚ photo-real scenarios of daily contexts such as a restaurant or a grocery store will be displayed in the device while a communication partner, e.g., a waiter in the restaurant or a shopkeeper of a grocery store will initiate the conversation by producing the corresponding part of the script. The PWA will be given time to respond. Upon the completion of PWA's respond, the next conversational turn will be initiated. The clinical assistant, who accompanies the PWA in the entire training session, will control the flow of the 360 ˚ videos.
Conventional script trainingBehavioural
The flow of training is identical to the VR condition, except that photos depicting the scenarios and prerecorded conversational turns will be presented to the PWA on a computer screen with the same procedures mentioned in the VR condition.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script training | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: VR-based script training |
| Control | No intervention | Not described |
| Computerized script training without VR | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Conventional script training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percentage accuracy of treatment probe correctly produced
Participant's production accuracy of the trained scripts in read-aloud and no-cue conditions.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Time to produce each of the scripts in the treatment probe
Participant's production time of the trained scripts in read-aloud and no-cue conditions.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Number of sessions to reach performance criteria in session probe
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Secondary outcomes (7)
Cantonese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (CAB) to measure aphasia severity
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Cantonese version of the Amsterdam-Nijmegen Everyday Language Test to measure verbal communication effectiveness in conversation via 20 culturally appropriate scenarios
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Cantonese version of the 20-item Communication Outcome after Stroke (Can-COAST) as a self-reported outcome on communication and quality of life
The questionnaire consists of 20 questions, and participants will be asked to evaluate their functional communication and quality of life based on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores reflect better functional communication performance and quality of life.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Subtest 1 (map search) and 3 (elevator counting) of Test of Everyday Attention to assess attention
The sub-test 1 aims to tap sustained and selective visual attention via identifying the target symbol in a map while the sub-test 3 assesses auditory selective attention via counting the number of target tones in the presence of distractors with different tones.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Digit span forward and backward task to assess verbal short-term and working memory
The longest span of participant correctly recalled in the digit span forward and backward task.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-third edition (TONI-3) to assess executive function
A norm-referenced test that uses abstract figures to evaluate abstract reasoning and problem-solving.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST) to assess executive function
WCST assesses cognitive flexibility and reasoning via matching cards with respect to color, quantity, and shape upon different rules and feedback given.
Measured: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Dec 2024
- Study startJun 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Aphasia, AcquiredStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 105 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Prof FONG NAI KUEN KENNETH, Dr LI SHI PUI, Dr NG HIU FUNG PETER, Johns Hopkins University
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Winsy WS Wong, PhD, Principal investigator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06722092
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSEARS20230228003-01
- Acronym
- VRSTPWA
- Status last verified
- Aug 2024
- First submitted
- 3 Dec 2024
- Last updated
- 13 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The IPD, together with the study protocol, will be shared in an open-access data repository (e.g., OSF).
Publications
Wong WWS, Li DSP, Fong KNK, Ng PHF, Kwok HTK. Can immersive virtual reality magnify treatment outcomes of computerized script training on Cantonese speakers with chronic aphasia? Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2026 Jun 2;21(6):e0350390. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350390. eCollection 2026.
PubMed 42228712
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Can Immersive Virtual Reality Magnify Treatment Outcomes of Script Training on Cantonese Speakers with Chronic Aphasia: a Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06722092
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VRSTPWA / HSEARS20230228003-01
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- Keywords
- functional communication, randomized controlled trial, script training, immersive reality, aphasia intervention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 105 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Prof FONG NAI KUEN KENNETH, Dr LI SHI PUI, Dr NG HIU FUNG PETER, Johns Hopkins University
- Study start
- Jun 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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:
- Can script training promote verbal functional communication of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Can script training enhance nonverbal cognitive functions of Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Can VR magnify verbal and nonverbal treatment outcomes of script training of PWA?
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script training | Experimental | Behavioral: VR-based script training |
| Control | No intervention | – |
| Computerized script training without VR | Active comparator | Behavioral: Conventional script training |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 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),
- premorbid fluent Cantonese speakers,
- aged between 30 and 80 years,
- no reported progressive neurogenic disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's disease,
- no motor speech disorders of moderate to severe level, and
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- concurrent participation in other aphasia treatment trials, and
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script trainingThe PWA will wear a head-mounted VR device (e.g., Metaverse Oculus Quest 2 or other commercially available devices) for 30 minutes, which intends to create an immersive environment for training. Scripts trained in the computerized script training program in a particular session will be practiced. Cinematic 360˚ photo-real scenarios of daily contexts such as a restaurant or a grocery store will be displayed in the device while a communication partner, e.g., a waiter in the restaurant or a shopkeeper of a grocery store will initiate the conversation by producing the corresponding part of the script. The PWA will be given time to respond. Upon the completion of PWA's respond, the next conversational turn will be initiated. The clinical assistant, who accompanies the PWA in the entire training session, will control the flow of the 360 ˚ videos. | Behavioural | VR-based script training |
| Conventional script trainingThe flow of training is identical to the VR condition, except that photos depicting the scenarios and prerecorded conversational turns will be presented to the PWA on a computer screen with the same procedures mentioned in the VR condition. | Behavioural | Computerized script training without VR |
Primary outcome
Percentage accuracy of treatment probe correctly produced
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Participant's production accuracy of the trained scripts in read-aloud and no-cue conditions.
Time to produce each of the scripts in the treatment probe
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Participant's production time of the trained scripts in read-aloud and no-cue conditions.
Number of sessions to reach performance criteria in session probe
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
7 secondary outcomes
Cantonese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (CAB) to measure aphasia severity
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Cantonese version of the Amsterdam-Nijmegen Everyday Language Test to measure verbal communication effectiveness in conversation via 20 culturally appropriate scenarios
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Cantonese version of the 20-item Communication Outcome after Stroke (Can-COAST) as a self-reported outcome on communication and quality of life
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Subtest 1 (map search) and 3 (elevator counting) of Test of Everyday Attention to assess attention
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Digit span forward and backward task to assess verbal short-term and working memory
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-third edition (TONI-3) to assess executive function
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST) to assess executive function
Time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Mar 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42228712Wong WWS, Li DSP, Fong KNK, Ng PHF, Kwok HTK. Can immersive virtual reality magnify treatment outcomes of computerized script training on Cantonese speakers with chronic aphasia? Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2026 Jun 2;21(6):e0350390. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350390. eCollection 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The IPD, together with the study protocol, will be shared in an open-access data repository (e.g., OSF).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Winsy WS Wong, PhD principal investigator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR-based script training and Conventional script training in people with Aphasia, Acquired and Chronic Stroke, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Winsy WS Wong, PhD (852-34003117, wszewong@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percentage accuracy of treatment probe correctly produced (time frame: From baseline up to 8-week post training). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06722092, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Mar 2025.