Primary Progressive Aphasia: How speech and language decline happens and progresses
Official title: Primary Progressive Aphasia: Cognition, Anatomy and Progression
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11395213 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies a brain disease called primary progressive aphasia to understand why speech and language slip up 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 start | July 15, 2004 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,438,829 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS050915-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395213 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with primary progressive aphasia or related language-variant neurodegenerative conditions.
✕Less likely to help
People without PPA or those not contributing data or samples may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
The project follows people with PPA to map how their speech and language difficulties relate to brain changes over years. It uses brain scans, tests of speech and cognition, and biomarker data to build a detailed picture of how PPA progresses. The goal is to identify better ways to measure outcomes and inform future treatments while improving clinical care for patients and families. The work builds on a large existing dataset from many PPA participants to answer unresolved questions about disease mechanisms and progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of PPA could lead to improved diagnosis, monitoring, and planning of care for patients and their families.
How similar studies have gone: The project has generated many peer-reviewed papers and clinical criteria, indicating meaningful progress in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How primary progressive aphasia changes language, thinking, and the brain over time
Following people with primary progressive aphasia to track changes in speech, thinking, brain scans, and biological markers over time.
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Communication Bridge: Improving language therapy for people with primary progressive aphasia
A proven language-therapy program called Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia improve and maintain how they communicate with others.
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Bilingualism and language resilience in Hispanic people with primary progressive aphasia
Researchers compare different bilingual experiences to see how they relate to language decline and thinking skills in Hispanic adults with primary progressive aphasia.
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Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia talk more clearly
Aimed at people with primary progressive aphasia, this project tests a speech-language and psychosocial program delivered by telepractice to improve daily communication and quality of life.
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Transcranial current therapy for language in progressive aphasia
A world-class team is testing a painless brain-stimulation method to help people with primary progressive aphasia say more words and names.
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Improving communication support for people with primary progressive aphasia
This project improves and delivers an evidence-based speech and communication program to help people with primary progressive aphasia and their care partners, including through telehealth.
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.