CB3 Pilot (Communication Bridge: A Person-centered Internet-based Intervention for Individuals With Primary Progressive Aphasia)

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Aphasia
Alzheimer Disease
Primary Progressive Aphasia
Dementia
Communication

Brief Summary: This study will evaluate evidence-based treatments for adults with mild Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). The aim of the study is to help identify efficacious communication and quality of life interventions for those with PPA and their care-partners.

Participants with a diagnosis of PPA and their actively-engaged care partners will be involved in the study for 12 months. Each participant will receive a iPad equipped with the necessary applications and features for the study. Participants will complete evaluations, speech therapy sessions with a speech and language therapist, and sessions with a licensed social worker or related clinician. They will have access to Communication Bridge, a personalized web application to practice home exercises that reinforce treatment strategies. There are no costs to participate in this study.

Detailed Description: This study will evaluate evidence-based treatments for adults with mild Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). The aim of the study is to help identify efficacious communication and quality of life interventions for those with PPA and their care-partners.

Participants with a diagnosis of PPA and their actively-engaged care partners will be involved in the study for 12 months. Each participant will receive a iPad equipped with the necessary applications and features for the study. Participants will complete evaluations, speech therapy sessions with a speech and language therapist, and sessions with a licensed social worker or related clinician. They will have access to Communication Bridge, a personalized web application to practice home exercises that reinforce treatment strategies. There are no costs to participate in this study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

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 may be requested and reviewed to determine eligibility.

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental: Communication Bridge™	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.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Communication Confidence (CCRSA)	Time Frame: 5 assessment time points through study completion, an average of 1 year, including change over time	Communication Confidence Rating Scale in Aphasia, a 0-100 numeric rating scale with 0 representing 'not confident' and 100 representing 'very confident'. Higher scores indicate greater confidence. (Note Primary Outcome Measure was not collected for care-partners)

Secondary Outcome Measures