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Cognitive Reserve and Response to Speech-Language Intervention in Bilingual Speakers With Primary Progressive Aphasia

Cognitive Reserve and Linguistic Resilience in Bilingual Hispanics With Primary Progressive Aphasia

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
40 Years and older
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

  • Procedures mentioned: MRI scans

Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.

Show the study's own words
  • "When possible, a structural scan of the brain (magnetic resonance image) will be collected before treatment in order to identify if brain regions implicated in bilingualism are associated with response to treatment."
Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests speech and language treatment tailored to people who speak two languages and have primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a condition that affects speech and language. It looks at how experience with each language relates to treatment results. Some people will have testing only, with no treatment.

Difficulties with speech and language are the first and most notable symptoms of primary progressive aphasia (PPA). While there is evidence that demonstrates positive effects of speech-language treatment for individuals with PPA who only speak one language (monolinguals), there is a significant need for investigating the effects of treatment that is optimized for bilingual speakers with PPA. This stage 2 efficacy clinical trial seeks to establish the effects of culturally and linguistically tailored speech-language interventions administered to bilingual individuals with PPA. The overall aim of the intervention component of this study is to establish the relationships between the bilingual experience (e.g., how often each language is used, how "strong" each language is) and treatment response of bilinguals with PPA. Specifically, the investigators will evaluate the benefits of tailored speech-language intervention administered in both languages to bilingual individuals with PPA (60 individuals will be recruited). The investigators will conduct an assessment before treatment, after treatment and at two follow-ups (6 and 12-months post-treatment) in both languages. When possible, a structural scan of the brain (magnetic resonance image) will be collected before treatment in order to identify if brain regions implicated in bilingualism are associated with response to treatment. In addition to the intervention described herein, 30 bilingual individuals with PPA will be recruited to complete behavioral cognitive-linguistic testing and will not receive intervention. Results will provide important knowledge about the neural mechanisms of language re-learning and will address how specific characteristics of bilingualism influence cognitive reserve and linguistic resilience in PPA.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Have a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA).
  • Speak Spanish and Catalan, or Spanish and English.
  • Any past experience with both languages is accepted; skill levels can differ.
  • For the treatment group: score 15 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination, a test of memory and thinking.
  • For the testing-only group: score 10 or higher on the same test.

Who can't join

  • Have another brain, spinal cord, or medical condition that could cause the symptoms.
  • Have another mental health condition that could cause the symptoms.
  • Have major vision or hearing problems that are not corrected and would make taking part difficult.
  • Had major problems with thinking, behavior, or movement as early symptoms, rather than speech and language problems.
  • For the treatment group: score below 15 on the memory and thinking test.
  • For the testing-only group: score below 10 on the memory and thinking test.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Meets diagnostic criteria for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA; Gorno-Tempini et al., 2011) * Bilingual in Spanish and Catalan or bilingual in Spanish and English * Different proficiency levels across languages are expected, any prior experience in both languages is acceptable * Intervention study: Score of 15 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination * Note that this project will also recruit individuals to participate in assessment only, for these individuals the following inclusion criteria applies: Score of 10 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination Exclusion Criteria: * Other central nervous system or medical diagnosis that can cause symptoms * Other psychiatric diagnosis that can cause symptoms * Significant, uncorrected visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with participation * Prominent initial non-speech-language impairments (cognitive, behavioral, motoric) * Intervention Study: Score of less than 15 on the Mini-Mental State Examination * Note that this project will also recruit individuals to participate in assessment only, for these individuals the following inclusion criteria applies: Score of less than 10 on the Mini-Mental State Examination

Study sites (1)

TX