This paper presents the protocol for a three-armed assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial investigating whether VR-based computerized script training can magnify treatment outcomes on functional communication, aphasia severity, and quality of life in Cantonese speakers with chronic aphasia compared to non-VR computerized script training and a no-treatment control.
Aphasia persists in approximately 20% of the stroke population, motivating the development of new rehabilitation approaches.
The trial uses a three-armed assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial design with 120 participants.
The VR condition involves practice in immersive virtual reality depicting everyday contexts, while the non-VR condition uses static photos as stimuli.
The trial will measure outcomes across three domains: functional communication, aphasia severity, and quality of life.
Virtual reality has been widely applied in motor and cognitive rehabilitation of stroke patients, and this trial extends its application to speech-language rehabilitation.
This research describes the design of a clinical trial testing whether virtual reality (VR) technology can improve a type of speech therapy called 'script training' for people who have lost language abilities (aphasia) after a stroke. About 1 in 5 stroke survivors experience lasting aphasia, and while speech therapy helps, researchers are looking for ways to make it more effective. The trial will compare three groups: one practicing scripted conversations inside an immersive VR environment showing realistic everyday settings, one practicing the same scripts using flat photographs, and one receiving no treatment. By comparing these groups, the researchers hope to determine whether the immersive, realistic quality of VR adds meaningful benefit beyond standard computerized practice. The study will enroll 120 Cantonese-speaking adults with chronic aphasia and measure how well they communicate in daily life, how severe their aphasia is, and their overall quality of life, both before and after the treatment period. The trial is registered as an official clinical trial (NCT06722092) and uses blinded assessors to reduce bias in measuring outcomes. This is a protocol paper, meaning it describes the planned study rather than reporting results — the actual findings will come after the trial is completed. This research matters because aphasia can profoundly affect a person's ability to communicate, work, and maintain relationships, yet treatment options remain limited. This research suggests that combining familiar script-based speech therapy with immersive virtual reality environments — designed to mimic real-life situations like ordering food or visiting a doctor — could make therapy feel more realistic and potentially more effective. If VR is shown to enhance outcomes, it could inform the development of more engaging and ecologically valid rehabilitation tools for stroke survivors with aphasia.
Wong W, Li D, Fong K, Ng P, Kwok H. (2026). 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. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0350390