Personalized prognosis and care for primary progressive aphasia
Toward Personalized Prognosis and Outcomes in Primary Progressive Aphasia
['FUNDING_R01'] · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · NIH-10973968
This project will use brain scans and molecular imaging to help predict how language skills will change over time for people with primary progressive aphasia.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-10973968 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would have PET scans that look for tau and amyloid proteins and several kinds of MRI (structural, diffusion, and functional) to map your language networks. The team will repeat imaging over time to see how your brain changes and which molecular pathology is driving your symptoms. That information will be used to give a more specific diagnosis and clearer predictions about language decline. The researchers aim to make these imaging methods into practical tools clinicians can use to guide care and future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia or suspected early PPA who can undergo MRI and PET scanning and attend follow-up visits would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Those without PPA, unable to undergo MRI/PET (for example because of incompatible implants or severe claustrophobia), or unable to travel to the study site may not be able to participate or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give earlier and more specific diagnoses and clearer forecasts of decline to help patients plan care and match to targeted therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior smaller studies have shown promising results using tau and amyloid PET and advanced MRI in PPA, but combining these measures for routine clinical use is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DICKERSON, BRADFORD C — MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- Study coordinator: DICKERSON, BRADFORD C
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.