Communication Bridge Pilot Study (CB3_1)

Communication Bridge: Optimizing an Evidence-based Intervention for Individuals With Primary Progressive Aphasia

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of evidence-based interventions in individuals living with mild to moderate primary progressive aphasia (PPA) that address communication-focused outcomes.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Primary Progressive Aphasia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Communication Bridge

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of evidence-based interventions in individuals living with mild to moderate primary progressive aphasia (PPA) that address communication-focused outcomes. The study team aims to enhance the personal relevance and therapeutic impact of goal attainment scaling (GAS) while building self-efficacy within a self-management framework.

This study will be a continuation of one of the largest non-pharmacologic intervention studies for individuals with PPA to date. It will add critical information regarding the effectiveness of telepractice interventions for communication disorders in adults with primary progressive aphasia specifically, and in dementia more broadly. The goal of this study is to maximize functional communication and life participation for the participants.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637
      • University of Chicago - American School Building

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria (person with PPA):

1. Meets diagnostic criteria for PPA based on neurologist and supporting medical assessments (extracted from medical records)
2. English as primary language used in daily communication activities (by self-report)
3. Adequate hearing (aided or unaided) for communicating with others in a crowded room (by self-report)
4. Adequate vision (aided or unaided) for reading a newspaper, or other functional materials (by self-report)
5. Able to pass technology screening and demonstrates sufficient knowledge for use of video conference and Communication Bridge™ web application use (with or without training)
6. Geriatric Depression Scale score ≤ 9
7. Mild-moderate PPA informed by a structured interview with a speech-language pathologist and a standardized testing battery.

Inclusion Criteria (Co-enrolled communication partner):

1. 18+ years of age
2. English as primary language used in daily communication activities (by self-report)
3. Adequate hearing (aided or unaided) for communicating with others in a crowded room (by self-report)
4. Able to pass technology screening* and demonstrates sufficient knowledge for use of video conference and Communication Bridge™ web application use (with or without training)

Exclusion Criteria:

• A dementia diagnosis other than Primary Progressive Aphasia
• Participation is co-enrolled in an outside speech language therapy program during the study course.
• Communication partners will be excluded if they have a pre-existing communication impairment that would affect study participation (e.g., aphasia, dementia) Medical records will be requested and reviewed to determine eligibility

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Communication Bridge™; Participants receive Communication Bridge™, a multi-component, participation-focused, dyadic intervention in which both the person with PPA and their co-enrolled communication partner are intervention recipients. Communication Bridge™ is modelled on the Living with Aphasia: Framework for Outcome Measurement (A-FROM) and the Care Pathway Model that was developed for persons living with primary progressive aphasia. Consistent with participation-focused intervention models personally salient training stimuli are incorporated into all therapy activities in the Experimental arm.

Behavioral: Communication Bridge; Evidence-based speech language therapy treatment will be compared and contrasted in the two arms of the study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Communication Participation Person Centered Goals	Goal Attainment Scaling, a 7-point rating scale with -3 representing 'no longer participating' and +3 representing 'exceeded goal'. Higher scores indicate better progress in goal achievement.	Time Frame: 2 assessment time points through study completion, an average of 5 months, including change over time

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Chicago
• Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA); Western University, Canada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Emily Roglaski, PhD, Professor of Neurology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 28, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 8, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 8, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): January 18, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 7, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dementia; Alzheimer Disease; Aphasia; Communication; Frontotemporal Dementia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia; Neurodegenerative Diseases; TDP-43 Proteinopathies; Proteostasis Deficiencies; Communication Disorders; Language Disorders; Speech Disorders; Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration; Aphasia; Frontotemporal Dementia; Aphasia, Primary Progressive; Pick Disease of the Brain
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB23-1620; 7R01AG055425-07 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No