Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33019888›Full record

Trial reportInternational journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society2021

A randomized control trial of intensive aphasia therapy after acute stroke: The Very Early Rehabilitation for SpEech (VERSE) study.

Erin Godecke, Elizabeth Armstrong, Tapan Rai, Natalie Ciccone, Miranda L Rose, Sandy Middleton, Anne Whitworth, Audrey Holland, Fiona Ellery, Graeme J Hankey and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
6.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 90 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. The effect of music therapy on language recovery in patients with aphasia after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2022
    Pooled it
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  19. Advances in Neuromodulation Techniques for Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Review.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025
    Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 9 institutions in 2 countries.

Erin GodeckeSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7210-1295
Elizabeth ArmstrongSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4469-1117
Tapan RaiSchool of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology NSW, Broadway, Australia.
Natalie CicconeSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1822-7217
Miranda L RoseSchool of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8892-0965
Sandy MiddletonSt Vincent's Health Australia, Sydney and Australian Catholic University, Darlinghurst, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7201-4394
Anne WhitworthFaculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia.
Audrey HollandSpeech Language Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Fiona ElleryFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Graeme J HankeyMedical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Dominique A CadilhacStroke and Ageing Research, School of Clinical Science at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8162-682X
Julie BernhardtFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2787-8484
VERSE Collaborative Group
Edith Cowan University · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUCurtin University · AULa Trobe University · AUMonash Health · AUSt Vincent's Health · AUThe University of Western Australia · AUUniversity of Arizona · USUniversity of Technology Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEffectiveness of early intensive aphasia rehabilitation after stroke is unknown. The Very Early Rehabilitation for SpEech trial (VERSE) aimed to determine whether intensive aphasia therapy, beginning within 14 days after stroke, improved communication recovery compared to usual care.

methodsProspective, randomized, single-blinded trial conducted at 17 acute-care hospitals across Australia/New Zealand from 2014 to 2018. Participants with aphasia following acute stroke were randomized to receive usual care (direct usual care aphasia therapy), or one of two higher intensity regimens (20 sessions of either non-prescribed (usual care-plus or prescribed (VERSE) direct aphasia therapy). The primary outcome was improvement of communication on the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Aphasia Quotient (AQ) at 12 weeks after stroke. Our pre-planned intention to treat analysis combined high intensity groups for the primary outcome.

findingsAmong 13,654 acute stroke patients screened, 25% (3477) had aphasia, of whom 25% (866) were eligible and 246 randomized to usual care (

interpretationEarly, intensive aphasia therapy did not improve communication recovery within 12 weeks post stroke compared to usual care.

Indexed as

AphasiaStrokeStroke RehabilitationHumansProspective StudiesSpeechSpeech TherapyTreatment OutcomeAphasiacommunicationearlyrehabilitationstroketherapy fidelity

Identifiers

PMID33019888
PMCPMC8267088
OpenAlexW3090842330

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.