Speech-Language Treatment with Remotely Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Primary Progressive Aphasia

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · Jun 2, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new treatment approach for people with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a condition that gradually affects a person’s ability to speak and communicate. The goal is to see if combining speech-language therapy delivered remotely with a special brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can help improve communication skills and overall quality of life for those living with PPA. The tDCS treatment is designed to be done at home, making it accessible and convenient for participants.

To be eligible for this study, individuals must have a confirmed diagnosis of PPA and be fluent in English. They should also have a study partner who can help them through the process and attend training sessions. Participants will need to have a good understanding of their mental abilities and will undergo a brain scan to ensure safety for the tDCS treatment. This trial is currently not recruiting new participants but aims to gather valuable information that could improve care for people with PPA in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Because PPA is a rare disease, the study aims to recruit all eligible participants with PPA who are referred to the Aphasia Research and Treatment Lab at the University of Texas (UT) Austin, the UT/Dell Medical School Department of Neurology, and the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center, as well as individuals with PPA from other clinical and research sites. The study will aim to include males, females, and transgender or non-binary individuals. Great efforts will be made to recruit participants from minority populations, subject to the limitation that participants need to be fluent speakers of English.
• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Meets diagnostic criteria for PPA
• • Meets diagnostic criteria for a specific variant of PPA
• • Score of 20 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination
• • Adequate hearing and vision (with hearing or vision aids, if needed)
• • Has a study partner that can co-enroll in the study and attend pre-treatment training as well as continue to be present for weekly teleconference meetings
• • Able and willing to undergo MRI brain scan
• • Access to high speed internet
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Speech and language deficits better accounted for by another neurological disorder
• • Does not meet diagnostic criteria for a specific variant of PPA
• • Score of less than 20 on the Mini-Mental State Examination
• • Does not have a study partner who can co-enroll in the study
• • Contraindications for tDCS or MRI scan (History of seizures, head injury, craniotomy, skull surgery or fracture; History of severe or frequent migraines; Metallic implant in head or any metal in head; Pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator or any other stimulator; Chronic skin problems; Pregnancy)
• • History of stroke, epilepsy, or significant brain injury