Phase
Condition
Stroke
Communication Disorders
Cerebral Ischemia
Treatment
N/AClinical Study ID
Study Summary
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
Inclusion Criteria:
Diagnosis of aphasia with relatively spared comprehension.
Onset 6 months or greater prior to enrollment.
Native English speaker
Right-handed.
Adults (18 years of age or older).
Exclusion
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients receiving ongoing individual speech therapy. (Most patients are no longereligible for individualized speech therapy after 6 months from stroke onset, thus thisshould not eliminate many patients).
Extremely mild or extremely severe aphasia. (Boston Naming Test Score <3 or >45 itemsnamed from 60 items).
Global dementia (and any other patient with reduced decisional capacity requiring alegally authorized representative for consent).
Presence of major cognitive deficit other than aphasia caused by stroke relateddisease.
Contraindications to cholinomimetic agents: History of active peptic ulcer diseasewithin 1 year, Severe asthma, unstable angina, bradyarrhythmia with resting pulse lessthan 50, sick sinus syndrome, or seizures.
Major psychiatric disorders that affect cognition including: psychosis, majordepression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or substance abuse.
Major medical conditions that alter cognition (e.g., heart failure, dialysis dependentrenal failure, hepatic failure, active cancer).
Impairments that affect metabolism of the medication including: Severe renalimpairment (Creatinine clearance equal to or greater than 9), and moderate or severehepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score >7)
Patients using medications that have major effects on brain neurotransmitter systemsor cognition within 2 months of enrollment. Exclusionary medications are: medicationswith significant anti-cholinergic activity (tricyclic antidepressants,diphenhydramine), anti-Parkinsonian medications (including Sinemet, amantadine,bromocriptine, pergolide, selegiline), and narcotic analgesics (> 2 doses per week).