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Targeting Language and Executive Control in Logopenic Variant PPA

This study is looking into new ways to help people with Logopenic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia (lvPPA), a type of dementia that mainly affects language. Researchers are testing if a treatment called High-definition active tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation), which uses a mild electrical current on the brain, can improve language skills when combined with a "Repeat After Me" (RAM) therapy. They will compare this to a sham (inactive) tDCS with the same RAM therapy. The study aims to see if this combination improves your ability to repeat words and word sequences. To join, you should be 50-80 years old, right-handed, proficient in English, have a high school education, and have a diagnosis of PPA or a related dementia. The study is currently unclear about its recruitment status.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 60 participants. It compares active HD-tDCS with a "Repeat After Me" treatment to a sham (inactive) device with the same treatment.
What's involved
Participants will receive either active or sham electrical stimulation to the brain along with "Repeat After Me" therapy. Language skills will be tested before, immediately after, and then one and three months after the intervention.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your language skills will be checked at one month and three months after the intervention.

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NCT03887481

Targeting Language-specific and Executive-control Networks With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Logopenic Variant PPA

Recruiting
NAAges 50–80InterventionalTreatment
Johns Hopkins University
~60 participants
Updated 2025-09-15 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:High-definition active tDCS (HD-tDCS) + "Repeat After Me" (RAM) TreatmentSham + "Repeat After Me" (RAM) Treatment

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in percent accuracy on word repetition (no delay) assessed by Temple Assessment of Language and Short-Term Memory in Aphasia (TALSA) Test 3
Measured over Before intervention, immediately after intervention, 1 month post intervention, 3 months post intervention
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Logopenic Progressive Aphasia
Primary Progressive Aphasia

Explore related trials

DementiaPrimary Progressive Aphasia

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Maryland1

Study leadership

  • Kyrana Tsapkini, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Johns Hopkins University

Who to contact

Cesia Diaz
[email protected]
(410) 417 - 8230
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Must be between 50-80 years of age.
Must be right-handed.
Must be proficient in English.
Must have a minimum of high-school education.
Must be diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) or dementia.
Participants will be diagnosed with PPA or with any of the PPA variants in specialized or early dementias clinics at Johns Hopkins University or other specialized centers in the US based on the current consensus criteria.
Healthy age- and education-matched controls: The investigators will include 30 healthy age- and education-matched controls, usually spouses, to maximize similarity in terms of other demographic or life-style factors that contribute to language and cognitive performance.

Exclusion

People with previous neurological disease including vascular dementia (e.g., stroke, developmental dyslexia, dysgraphia or attentional deficit).
People with uncorrected hearing loss
People with uncorrected visual acuity loss.
People with advanced dementia or severe language impairments: Mini Mental State -Examination (MMSE)\<18, or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)\<15, or language Frontotemporal Dementia specific - Clinical Dementia Rating (FTD-CDR)\<=2.
Left handed individuals.
People with pre-existing psychiatric disorders such as behavioral disturbances, severe depression, or schizophrenia that do not allow these people to comply or follow the study schedule and requirements such as repeated evaluation and therapy.
People with severe claustrophobia.
People with cardiac pacemakers or ferromagnetic implants.
Pregnant women.

What this trial measures

  • Change in percent accuracy on word repetition (no delay) assessed by Temple Assessment of Language and Short-Term Memory in Aphasia (TALSA) Test 3Before intervention, immediately after intervention, 1 month post intervention, 3 months post intervention

    The investigators will assess any changes in performance from pre- to post-treatment and 1- and 3- month follow-up intervals in percent accuracy on word repetition with no delay. This will be measured using the Temple Assessment of Language and Short-Term Memory (TALSA) Test 3: Word and Non-Word Repetition Test. The investigators will compute the raw score of items correct and transform to percent correct (range: 0-100%), computing change in outcome in percent difference as well as other arithmetic differences between percentage scores before intervention and each time point after. Increase in scores is considered a benefit. This outcome measure corresponds to Aim 1.

  • Change in percent accuracy on word repetition (with 5-sec delay) assessed by TALSA Test 3Before intervention, immediately after intervention, 1 month post intervention, 3 months post intervention

    The investigators will assess any changes in performance from pre- to post-treatment and 1- and 3- month follow-up intervals in percent accuracy on word repetition with delay (5-sec). This will be measured using the TALSA Test 3: Word and Non-Word Repetition Test. The investigators will compute the raw score of items correct and transform to percent correct (range: 0-100%), computing change in outcome in percent difference as well as other arithmetic differences between percentage scores before intervention and each time point after. Increase in scores is considered a benefit. This outcome measure corresponds to Aim 1.

  • Change in percent accuracy on word span assessed by TALSA Test 14Before intervention, immediately after intervention, 1 month post intervention, 3 months post intervention

    The investigators will assess any changes in performance from pre- to post-treatment and 1- and 3- month follow-up intervals in percent accuracy on word span. This will be measured using the TALSA Test 14: Word and Non-Word Repetition Span Test. The investigators will use the span calculation outlined in the TALSA. Span calculations consist of two numbers: the number of the last list length (LL) passed (e.g., 2 for pairs), and the proportion of correct strings out of the required strings to pass (5) of the next list. The highest spans obtainable for this test is 5.00. Increase in scores is considered a benefit. This outcome measure corresponds to Aim 1.