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

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · Feb 14, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how speech and language therapy can help bilingual individuals who have a condition called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), which affects their ability to communicate. While there is evidence that such treatments can benefit people who speak only one language, this trial aims to explore how these treatments can be adapted for those who speak two languages, specifically Spanish and Catalan or Spanish and English. The researchers want to understand how the use of both languages affects treatment outcomes and whether tailored interventions in both languages can improve communication skills in bilingual individuals with PPA.

To participate in this study, individuals must be diagnosed with PPA and be bilingual in one of the specified language pairs. Participants will undergo assessments before, after, and several months following the therapy to see how well they respond to the treatment. Some participants will receive the speech therapy, while others will only take part in evaluations without treatment. The trial is currently recruiting and aims to gather important information about how bilingualism can influence language recovery and cognitive abilities in people with PPA.

Gender

ALL

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