Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Speech and Language Therapy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
BMJ Open. 2019 Jan 30;9(1):e024233. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024233.
To test the feasibility of recruitment, retention, outcome measures and internet delivery of dysarthria therapy for young people with cerebral palsy in a randomised controlled trial.
Mixed methods. Single blind pilot randomised controlled trial, with control offered Skype therapy at end of study. Qualitative study of the acceptability of therapy delivery via Skype.
Nine speech and language therapy departments in northern England recruited participants to the study. Skype therapy was provided in a university setting.
Twenty-two children (14 M, 8 F) with dysarthria and cerebral palsy (mean age 8.8 years (SD 3.2)) agreed to take part. Participants were randomised to dysarthria therapy via Skype (n=11) or treatment as usual (n=11).
Children received either usual speech therapy from their local therapist for 6 weeks or dysarthria therapy via Skype from a research therapist. Usual therapy sessions varied in frequency, duration and content. Skype dysarthria therapy focused on breath control and phonation to produce clear speech at a steady rate, and comprised three 40 min sessions per week for 6 weeks.
Feasibility and acceptability of the trial design, intervention and outcome measures.
Departments recruited two to three participants. All participants agreed to random allocation. None withdrew from the study. Recordings of children's speech were made at all time points and rated by listeners. Families allocated to Skype dysarthria therapy judged internet delivery of the therapy to be acceptable. All families reported that the study design was acceptable. Treatment integrity checks suggested that the phrases practised in one therapy exercise should be reduced in length.
A delayed treatment design, in which dysarthria therapy is offered at the end of the study to families allocated to treatment as usual, is acceptable. A randomised controlled trial of internet delivered dysarthria therapy is feasible.
在一项随机对照试验中，测试为患有脑瘫的年轻人提供口吃治疗的招募、保留、结果测量和互联网传递的可行性。
混合方法。单盲试点随机对照试验，对照组在研究结束时提供 Skype 治疗。通过 Skype 提供治疗的可接受性的定性研究。
英格兰北部的 9 个言语和语言治疗部门招募了参与该研究的参与者。Skype 治疗在一所大学进行。
22 名有口吃和脑瘫的儿童（14 名男性，8 名女性）（平均年龄 8.8 岁（标准差 3.2））同意参加。参与者被随机分配到通过 Skype 进行口吃治疗（n=11）或接受常规治疗（n=11）。
儿童接受当地治疗师的常规言语治疗 6 周或由研究治疗师通过 Skype 进行口吃治疗。常规治疗课程的频率、持续时间和内容各不相同。Skype 口吃治疗侧重于呼吸控制和发声，以稳定的速度清晰发音，每周进行三次 40 分钟的课程，持续 6 周。
试验设计、干预措施和结果测量的可行性和可接受性。
各部门招募了 2 到 3 名参与者。所有参与者都同意随机分配。没有参与者退出研究。在所有时间点都对儿童的言语进行了录音，并由听众进行了评分。被分配到 Skype 口吃治疗的家庭认为互联网治疗的传递是可以接受的。所有家庭都表示研究设计是可以接受的。治疗完整性检查表明，在一项治疗练习中练习的短语长度应缩短。
延迟治疗设计，即在研究结束时向接受常规治疗的家庭提供口吃治疗，是可以接受的。互联网提供的口吃治疗的随机对照试验是可行的。
