Preventing Language Decline in Dementia

NCT02541097 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NPSASA-15-362999
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will establish factors fundamental to the improvement in communication and quality of life for people with dementia known as primary progressive aphasia (PPA). PPA is a type of dementia in which language declines but other cognitive skills (including memory) are preserved in the first several years after the onset. This makes those in the initial stages of PPA excellent candidates for treatment and creates a window of time (2-7 years) whereby they can lead independent lives with minimal support. However, currently, no communication therapy is available to people with PPA due to the progressive nature of the disorder and lack of awareness of available options for professionals willing to treat it. Participants with PPA in our study will receive two kinds of therapy for the words they cannot recall spontaneously, and will be trained to maintain them through social interaction. The type of training will be based on the most successful interventions the investigators provided to people with PPA in our previous work. The investigators expect that successful re-learning of forgotten words and practicing them in a group setting will facilitate retention of communication skills leading to greater personal independence and increased/maintained quality of life for people with PPA. Our study represents natural combination of two novel approaches for PPA that ultimately will lead to lower demands on the health care system.

Conditions

Primary Progressive Aphasia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Naming accuracy measured with standard naming tests (e.g., BNT)

  4 months

Study Arms (2)

Language therapy-Individual treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive intervention for naming impairment based on either phonological or semantic cues.

Behavioral: Language therapy

Language therapy-Group treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Following the individual therapy, participants will be randomly assigned to either verbal or non-verbal group

Behavioral: Language therapy

Interventions

Language therapy BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive semantic and phonological therapy for words they cannot retrieve spontaneously. They will be given an opportunity to practice the words in a group setting.

Language therapy-Group treatment; Language therapy-Individual treatment

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• diagnosis of PPA
• fluent in English
• able to see and hear
• able to participate in individual and group sessions
• willing to travel to sessions
• physically independent (if assistive devices needed, must be able to operate them)

You may not qualify if:

• untreated mental conditions
• neurodegenerative conditions (other than PPA)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Baycrest: lead

Study Sites (1)

Baycrest Health Sciences

Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia, Primary Progressive

Interventions

Language Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Dementia; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Aphasia; Speech Disorders; Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Rehabilitation of Speech and Language Disorders; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Regina Jokel

  Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest and University of Toronto

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinician Associate

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2015
• First Posted: September 4, 2015
• Study Start: May 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2018
• Study Completion: January 31, 2019
• Last Updated: July 9, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)