Language Treatment for Progressive Aphasia

Baycrest7 enrolled

Overview

Progressive aphasia is characterized by a steady and progressive loss of language skills in the presence of relatively preserved memory, attention, and thinking. The aim of this study is to slow the progression of language decline in progressive aphasia via language therapy. The first goal of this study is to improve naming abilities of individuals with progressive aphasia. This will be accomplished by carrying out an intensive treatment program for anomia. The second goal is to evaluate whether this intense language treatment re-activates affected areas and/or connections within the language network, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (to measure neural activity in specific brain regions) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging tractography (to measure the connectivity between specific brain regions). This is the first study on progressive aphasia addressing both treatment and imaging in the same patients.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Primary Progressive Aphasia Nonfluent Progressive Aphasia Semantic Dementia

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 40 YearsMax age: 80 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of progressive aphasia * Native English speaker or fluent in English * Adequate hearing and vision (not requiring more than +6 diopter correction) * Willing and able to participate in each phase of the study (including two fMRI sessions) Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindications to fMRI (e.g., claustrophobia, pacemaker, ferromagnetic implant) * Current medical or psychiatric condition affecting cognition (other than progressive aphasia)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Accuracy of picture naming

Time frame: 3 months

Secondary Outcomes

Changes on neuroimaging