Recruiting
Phase 2

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Chicago

Code:

NCT06191198

Conditions

Primary Progressive Aphasia

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Communication Bridge™

Evidence-Based Impairment Focused

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study will use a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the effect of two evidence-based treatments for adults with mild-moderate Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). The aim of the study is to help us better understand the effects of speech-language therapy on communication abilities in individuals with PPA.

Conditions

Primary Progressive Aphasia

Study ID

NCT06191198

Start date

Aug 23, 2024

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Jul 15, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 15, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria (person with PPA):

1. Meets diagnostic criteria for PPA based on neurologist and supporting medical assessments (extracted from medical records)
2. English as primary language used in daily communication activities (by self-report)
3. Adequate hearing (aided or unaided) for communicating with others in a crowded room (by self-report)
4. Adequate vision (aided or unaided) for reading a newspaper, or other functional materials (by self-report)
5. Able to pass technology screening and demonstrates sufficient knowledge for use of video conference and Communication Bridge™ web application use (with or without training)
6. Geriatric Depression Scale score ≤ 9
7. Mild-moderate PPA informed by a structured interview with a speech-language pathologist and a standardized testing battery.

Inclusion Criteria (Co-enrolled communication partner):

1. 18+ years of age
2. English as primary language used in daily communication activities (by self-report)
3. Adequate hearing (aided or unaided) for communicating with others in a crowded room (by self-report)
4. Able to pass technology screening\* and demonstrates sufficient knowledge for use of video conference and Communication Bridge™ web application use (with or without training)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A dementia diagnosis other than Primary Progressive Aphasia
  • Participation is co-enrolled in an outside speech language therapy program during the study course.
  • Communication partners will be excluded if they have a pre-existing communication impairment that would affect study participation (e.g., aphasia, dementia)

Medical records will be requested and reviewed to determine eligibility

Study Design

Enrollment

200 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Communication Bridge™

Participants receive Communication Bridge™, a multi-component, participation-focused, dyadic intervention in which both the person with PPA and their co-enrolled communication partner are intervention recipients. Communication Bridge™ is modelled on the Living with Aphasia: Framework for Outcome Measurement (A-FROM) and the Care Pathway Model that was developed for persons living with primary progressive aphasia. Consistent with participation-focused intervention models personally salient training stimuli are incorporated into all therapy activities in the Experimental arm.

active comparator: Evidence-Based Impairment Focused

The Control arm includes a non-dyadic intervention in which the person with PPA is the active intervention recipient and their communication partner is in a supporting role. In the Control arm, participants receive a speech-language intervention designed to address impairment and functional limitations, comprised of activities that address word retrieval and 'automatic' speech production using fixed, non-personalized, stimuli across participants.

Interventions

Communication Bridge™

Evidence-based speech language therapy treatment will be compared and contrasted in the two arms of the study.

Evidence-Based Impairment Focused

Evidence-based speech language therapy treatment will be compared and contrasted in the two arms of the study.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in Communication Participation Person Centered Goals [ Time Frame: 5 assessment time points through study completion (up to 18 months) ]
  • Change in Communication Participation [ Time Frame: 5 assessment time points through study completion (up to 18 months) ]
  • Montgomery Burden Inventory (MBI) [ Time Frame: 5 assessment time points through study completion (up to 18 months) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

University of Chicago - American School Building

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Contacts

Matthew Bona, MPH

cbtrial@uchicago.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Chicago

Last update posted

Jun 1, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • Aphasia
  • Dementia
  • Communication
  • Frontotemporal Dementia
  • Alzheimer Disease

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-23. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Chicago on 2026-06-01.