How primary progressive aphasia changes language, thinking, and the brain over time
Primary Progressive Aphasia: Cognition, Anatomy and Progression
Following people with primary progressive aphasia to track changes in speech, thinking, brain scans, and biological markers over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10795771 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a long-running program that has evaluated over 400 people with primary progressive aphasia. You would have detailed speech and language testing, cognitive exams for thinking and visuospatial skills, structural and functional MRI scans, and usually blood or other biomarker and genetic testing; brain donation for pathology is included in some cases. The team uses these combined clinical, imaging, biomarker, and pathological data to better define how different diseases cause PPA and why certain brain networks are vulnerable. Their goal is to create objective clinical outcome tools and clarify the heterogeneity that can make diagnosis and trial inclusion difficult.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia or with progressive, language-predominant decline—particularly those in early to mid stages—are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People whose symptoms are not primarily language-related, or those unwilling to undergo brain imaging or provide biological samples, are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce clearer diagnostic markers and objective outcome measures to help include more people with PPA in clinical trials and guide better, earlier care.
How similar studies have performed: Related long-term PPA and biomarker cohorts have already led to international diagnostic criteria and many publications, but objective outcome tools for trials remain an unmet need that this project aims to address.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gorno Tempini, Maria Luisa — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Gorno Tempini, Maria Luisa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.