Development of an ICT-delivered control programme for use in aphasia crossover intervention study

Aphasia refers to an acquired loss or impairment of the language system that can occur post stroke. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can provide an option for the delivery of intensive aphasia rehabilitation but further research is required to support this. A crossover research design can provide a robust methodology for investigating the effectiveness of an ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation programme. However, if using a control programme in a crossover design it must be carefully considered. It should be distinct from the intervention but not easily distinguished as a "sham" programme. This can pose challenges for researchers. The design, development and pilot of a control programme for a crossover aphasia rehabilitation research design is presented here