Purpose

The goal of this study is to remediate word-finding problems in patients who have Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) or Alzheimer's Disease and to delay the further progression of word-finding impairment. The current approach is novel in that it contains a prophylaxis component in which the investigators attempt to strengthen neural connections that remain functional, making them more resistant to degradation as the disease progresses. While the study is specific in its targeting of word-finding problems, a successful outcome would bode well for other studies aimed at prevention or reversal of declining cognitive functions in dementia. One set of participants with PPA will receive practice with picture naming in two conditions: viewing the picture and repeating the name; and viewing the picture with its written name, plus reading and writing the name. Another set of participants with PPA or Alzheimer's Disease will be trained in two different conditions: learning about the word's semantic features (meaning); and learning about the word's lexical features (letters and sounds). Naming of pictures trained in each of these conditions will be compared, at three time intervals post-training, with naming of pictures tested before the study but never trained. It is predicted that the pairing of the picture with its written name, combined with the motor task of writing the name, will result in a greater ability to name the picture at a later date than simple practice viewing the picture and repeating the name. Furthermore, it is predicted that participants who have difficulty understanding concepts will be more likely to respond to semantic treatment, while participants who have difficulty connecting words with concepts will be more likely to respond to lexical treatment.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 40 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Diagnosis of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA; including Frontotemporal Dementia, Semantic Dementia, or a similar condition) or Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease - At least 10 years of education - Ability to follow spoken instructions - Medically stable - First language is English, or fluent in English since childhood - Willing to participate over a period of two years

Exclusion Criteria

  • No history of additional neurological problems - No history of substance abuse or psychiatric problems

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Intervention Model
Sequential Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Phonological, Orthographic, Untrained
  • Behavioral: Phonological
    This treatment involves picture viewing and word repetition.
  • Behavioral: Orthographic
    This treatment involves picture viewing, reading, and writing.
  • Behavioral: Untrained
    These words are not trained during the treatment phase.
Experimental
Semantic, Lexical, Untrained
  • Behavioral: Semantic
    This treatment involves learning about the semantic features (meaning) of each trained word.
  • Behavioral: Lexical
    This treatment involves learning about the lexical features (letters and sounds) of each trained word.
  • Behavioral: Untrained
    These words are not trained during the treatment phase.

More Details

Status
Active, not recruiting
Sponsor
Georgetown University

Study Contact

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.