Effects of speech-language intervention on bilingual speakers with primary progressive aphasia

Cognitive Reserve and Linguistic Resilience in Bilingual Hispanics With Primary Progressive Aphasia

Not applicable Interventional University of Texas at Austin · NCT05741853

This study tests if special speech therapy designed for bilingual people can help those with primary progressive aphasia communicate better in both of their languages.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment60 (estimated)
Ages40 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Texas at Austin Academic / other
Locations3 sites (Austin, Texas and 2 other locations)
Trial IDNCT05741853 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial investigates the impact of culturally and linguistically tailored speech-language interventions on bilingual individuals diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). The study aims to understand how bilingual experience influences treatment response by administering interventions in both languages spoken by participants. It will involve 60 bilingual individuals, focusing on optimizing treatment for those who speak Spanish and either Catalan or English. The interventions include Video-Implemented Script Training for Aphasia (VISTA) and Lexical Retrieval Training (LRT).

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are bilingual individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for primary progressive aphasia and speak Spanish along with either Catalan or English.

Not a fit: Patients with significant non-speech-language impairments or other central nervous system conditions may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance speech-language treatment outcomes for bilingual patients with primary progressive aphasia.

How similar studies have performed: While there is evidence supporting speech-language treatment for monolinguals with PPA, this approach for bilinguals is novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Meets diagnostic criteria for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA; Gorno-Tempini et al., 2011)
* Bilingual in Spanish and Catalan or bilingual in Spanish and English
* Different proficiency levels across languages are expected, any prior experience in both languages is acceptable
* Intervention study: Score of 15 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination
* Note that this project will also recruit individuals to participate in assessment only, for these individuals the following inclusion criteria applies: Score of 10 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination

Exclusion Criteria:

* Other central nervous system or medical diagnosis that can cause symptoms
* Other psychiatric diagnosis that can cause symptoms
* Significant, uncorrected visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with participation
* Prominent initial non-speech-language impairments (cognitive, behavioral, motoric)
* Intervention Study: Score of less than 15 on the Mini-Mental State Examination
* Note that this project will also recruit individuals to participate in assessment only, for these individuals the following inclusion criteria applies: Score of less than 10 on the Mini-Mental State Examination

Where this trial is running

Austin, Texas and 2 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Primary Progressive AphasiaDementiaDementia, FrontotemporalAlzheimer DiseaseNeurodegenerative DiseasesFrontotemporal Lobar DegenerationApraxia, MotorDysarthria
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.