Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Not Yet Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07732140

Listen Aphasia Pilot Study

This is a feasibility and pilot study to refine and test LISTEN, an AI-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) smartphone app, integrated into the patient's personal electronic device, to augment and facilitate communication in patients with tumor-related aphasia (TRA) and their care partners. The study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of LISTEN in patients with TRA and their care partners.

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Conditions

Aphasia Brain Diseases Brain Neoplasms Central Nervous System Diseases Central Nervous System Neoplasms Communication Disorders Language Disorders Malignant Brain Tumor Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Neoplasms Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Speech Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Brigham & Woman's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Loading trial locations.

About this study

The study will be conducted in three phases: (1) Refinement, (2) Pre-pilot, and (3) Open pilot feasibility study. In the Refinement phase, a functional prototype of LISTEN will be developed and iteratively refined with 10 patient-care-partner dyads (20 participants), stratified by tumor grade and illness stage. Usability will be assessed through think-aloud interviews, System Usability Scale (SUS), and qualitative exit interviews. The Pre-pilot phase will test LISTEN in real-world scenarios with 10 dyads, making final adjustments before the open pilot. The Open pilot will recruit 20 dyads (40 participants) to assess feasibility and acceptability using validated implementation measures (AIM, IAM, FIM). Participants will be followed for up to 16 weeks, with study visits occurring weekly to biweekly. Data will be collected and stored in REDCap, and participants will be compensated for their time. The study is minimal risk, with anticipated risks limited to emotional distress during interviews or technical difficulties with the app. The study is supported by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patient inclusion criteria are as follows:

  • A histologically or cytologically confirmed primary or secondary brain tumor with expected ongoing deterioration in language as determined by their oncologist
  • Mild-to-moderate aphasia or other acquired communication disorder as determined by their oncologist or speech-language pathologist
  • ECOG Performance Status of ≤2 or Karnofsky Performance Status ≥60
  • Expected overall survival of >6 months
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written consent form
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Willingness to participate in study interviews and be recorded for the study (for monitoring of study fidelity)
  • Cancer survivors will also be included

Care-partner inclusion criteria are as follows:

  • Identified by their patient as someone who is integral to their care
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written consent form
  • Willingness to participate in study interviews and be recorded for the study (monitoring of study fidelity)

Exclusion criteria

Patient exclusion criteria are as follows:

  • Unable to read or respond to questions in English
  • Severe dysarthria as determined by their oncologist
  • Aphasia that is moderate-to-sever enough that the patient cannot consent without a proxy
  • Expected survival of ≤ 6 months
  • Severe cognitive impairment as determined by their oncologist

Care-partner exclusion criteria are as follows:

-Unable to read or respond to questions in English

Treatment and study plan

LISTEN (AI-based AAC smartphone app)

Device

LISTEN is a smartphone app leveraging AI and large language models (LLMs) to support personalized, adaptive communication for individuals with tumor-related aphasia. The app is customized with user-specific information and deployed through mobile applications with voice input/output capabilities.

Primary outcomes

  1. Usability of LISTEN Assessed by the System Usability Scale (SUS) [Phase 1]

    Time frame: Up to 12 months (Phase 1 refinement period).

    Usability of the LISTEN prototype will be evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS) in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety (TRA) and their care partners. Participants will engage in think-aloud usability testing during daily communication scenarios, followed by completion of the SUS questionnaire after each session. The primary outcome is defined as a mean SUS score ≥70 across all participants, indicating acceptable usability.

  2. Acceptability of LISTEN Assessed by Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) [Phase 2]

    Time frame: Up to 24 months (pre-pilot study period).

    Acceptability of the LISTEN application will be evaluated using the AIM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess participants' perceived acceptability of the intervention in real-world settings; the outcome is defined as a mean AIM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable acceptability.

  3. Appropriateness of LISTEN Assessed by Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) [Phase 2]

    Time frame: Up to 24 months (pre-pilot study period).

    Appropriateness of the LISTEN application will be evaluated using the IAM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess the perceived fit, relevance, and suitability of the intervention for the target population and context; the outcome is defined as a mean IAM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable appropriateness.

  4. Feasibility of LISTEN Assessed by Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) [Phase 2]

    Time frame: Up to 24 months (pre-pilot study period).

    Feasibility of the LISTEN application will be evaluated using the FIM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess the extent to which the intervention can be successfully used and implemented in real-world settings; the outcome is defined as a mean FIM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable feasibility.

  5. Acceptability of LISTEN Assessed by Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) [Phase 3]

    Time frame: At the end of the open pilot study (up to 48 months).

    Acceptability of the LISTEN application will be evaluated of using AIM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess participants' perceived acceptability of the intervention in real-world settings; participants will engage in a three-stage intervention (preparation, training, and testing at 4-week intervals), and the outcome is defined as a mean AIM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable acceptability.

  6. Appropriateness of LISTEN Assessed by Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) [Phase 3]

    Time frame: At the end of the open pilot study (up to 48 months).

    Appropriateness of the LISTEN application will be evaluated using IAM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess the perceived fit, relevance, and suitability of the intervention for the target population and context; participants will engage in a three-stage intervention (preparation, training, and testing at 4-week intervals), and the outcome is defined as a mean IAM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable appropriateness.

  7. Feasibility of LISTEN Assessed by Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) [Phase 3]

    Time frame: At the end of the open pilot study (up to 48 months).

    Feasibility of the LISTEN application will be evaluated using FIM developed by Weiner et al. (2017) to assess the extent to which the intervention can be successfully used and implemented in real-world settings; participants will engage in a three-stage intervention (preparation, training, and testing at 4-week intervals), and the outcome is defined as a mean FIM score ≥4 across all participants based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree), indicating favorable feasibility.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Sustained Use of LISTEN at 12 Weeks

    Time frame: At 12 weeks following intervention initiation.

    Sustained use of LISTEN will be assessed as the proportion of patients reporting ongoing use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) at 12 weeks following intervention initiation. Feasibility is defined as ≥50% of patients demonstrating sustained use.

  2. Session Duration of LISTEN Use

    Time frame: During participant use throughout the study period (up to 48 months).

    Session duration will be assessed as the length of time participants interact with the LISTEN application during each use session

  3. Task Completion Rate of LISTEN

    Time frame: During participant use throughout the study period (up to 48 months).

    Task completion rate will be assessed as the proportion of tasks successfully completed by participants during interactions with the LISTEN application.

  4. Error Rate During LISTEN Use

    Time frame: During participant use throughout the study period (up to 48 months).

    Error rate will be assessed as the frequency of user errors encountered during interactions with the LISTEN application.

  5. Qualitative Usability Themes Identified From Think-Aloud Protocols and Exit Interviews

    Time frame: At the end of each session and throughout the study period (up to 48 months).

    Qualitative data from think-aloud protocols and exit interviews will be transcribed and analyzed using rapid thematic content analysis to identify usability themes and inform iterative refinement of the LISTEN application.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

John Rhee, MD, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

(857) 215-3308

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Other

Registry information

Official study title

LISTEN: Supporting Communication in Patients With Tumor-Related Aphasia

Acronym: LISTEN

Important dates

Study start
2027
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2030
First posted
Jul 28, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 28, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.