The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether home-based brain stimulation combined with virtual speech-language therapy can improve communication abilities in adults with logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA), a language disorder most often caused by Alzheimer's disease.
The main questions the study aims to answer are:
* Is combining remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with virtual speech-language therapy feasible and acceptable for people with lvPPA? * Does this combined treatment lead to improvements in communication compared to speech-language therapy with sham (placebo) stimulation? * Do individual brain characteristics help predict who benefits most from this treatment?
Researchers will compare participants who receive active tDCS plus virtual speech-language therapy to participants who receive sham (placebo) tDCS plus virtual speech-language therapy to see if active brain stimulation enhances communication outcomes.
Participants will:
* Complete speech-language therapy sessions delivered by video visit. * Receive either active or sham tDCS that is remotely supervised and completed at home. * Complete language and cognitive testing before and after treatment. * Undergo brain imaging and other assessments to help understand treatment response.
Meets diagnostic criteria for primary progressive aphasia (PPA)
Meets diagnostic criteria for logopenic variant PPA
Attains score of 15 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination
Has adequate hearing and vision (with hearing or vision aids, if needed)
Speech and language deficits better accounted for by another neurological disorder
Does not meet diagnostic criteria for logopenic variant PPA
Scores less than 15 on the Mini-Mental State Examination
Does not have a study partner who can co-enroll in the study
Maya Henry
Lead sponsor
University of Texas at Austin
Sponsor institution
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator