COMPARE Aphasia Therapy Research Trial

COMPARE is a national research study which compares the outcomes of different treatments for people with aphasia.

COMPARE was an NHMRC-funded randomised controlled research trial that compared the outcomes of two different treatments for people with aphasia.

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that is caused by brain injury, most commonly stroke. In most people, areas of the left side of the brain control functions of language, such as speaking, reading, writing, and understanding spoken language. Aphasia impacts all forms of communication including the ability to understand and use language.

The study investigated if two intensive and contrasting treatments, Multi-modal Aphasia Treatment (M-MAT) and Constraint-Induced Aphasia Therapy Plus (CIAT-Plus), resulted in better outcomes compared to usual care aphasia treatments (usual care: UC) for people who experienced aphasia after stroke for more than 6 months.

The study defined which individuals responded best to M-MAT and CIAT Plus, based on the severity of aphasia and other factors.

Treatment was provided in groups of 3 people, 5 days a week, 3 hours per day over 2 weeks for a total of 30 hours. A sub-study investigated the impacts of treatment intensity and provided the 30 hours of treatment over 5 weeks.

Research trial results

The results of the COMPARE research trial are published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

View the trial results as aphasia friendly information:

We have created aphasia friendly information about the trial that you can find here:

Research team

  • Professor Miranda Rose – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Professor David Copland – University of Queensland (QLD)
  • Professor Leanne Togher – University of Sydney (NSW)
  • Dr Erin Godecke – Edith Cowan University (WA)
  • Professor Lyndsey Nickels – Macquarie University (NSW)
  • Associate Professor Marcus Meinzer – University of Queensland (QLD)
  • Dr Tapan Rai – University of Technology Sydney (NSW)
  • Professor Dominique Cadilhac – Monash University (VIC)
  • Dr Joosup Kim – Monash University (VIC)
  • Dr Marcella Carragher – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Dr Abby Foster – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Melanie Hurley – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Dr John Pierce – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Cassie Wilcox – La Trobe University (VIC)
  • Dr Gillian Steel – La Trobe University (VIC)

Buy our therapy resources

You can purchase the COMPARE naming battery and picture card therapy resources from the Centre of Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation (Aphasia CRE).

Please email aphasiacre@latrobe.edu.au for details.

Online sales/orders coming soon.

What’s next for the COMPARE trial?

We are currently determining:

  • the cost-effectiveness of CIAT-Plus and M-MAT
  • developing telehealth versions of M-MAT
  • investigating the effects of different doses of M-MAT
  • doing psychometric testing of the COMPARE naming battery.

Contact us or m.rose@latrobe.edu.au for more details.

Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12615000618550 (Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry)