Communication Bridge Speech Therapy Research Study

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
This is a study on Internet-based video-practice speech and language therapy for persons with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), or related conditions.

Detailed Description
-----------------
The purpose of this study is: To evaluate the effectiveness of speech and language therapy on a person's ability to communicate immediately after treatment, 6-months after treatment, and 12-months after treatment. To identify the most effective speech and language therapy strategies for persons with these conditions. To determine the feasibility of Internet-based video-practice of speech and language therapy for persons with these conditions. The study will involve 12 to 15 session over the course of 12 months. Some of these sessions will be in-person at the Northwestern Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center (Chicago, IL), while others will take place over the Internet, using an online study portal.

Official Title
-----------------
Communication Bridge Speech Therapy Research Study: Using Internet-Based Speech Therapy to Improve Quality of Life and Access to Care

Conditions
-----------------
Primary Progressive Aphasia, Frontotemporal Dementia

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: Monthly Check-in Session


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of dementia with language as a primary symptom (i.e. aphasia) An informant who knows the participant well and can answer questions the participant's communication ability Adequate hearing to follow conversation (correction permitted) Adequate vision (correction permitted)
Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
No

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Check-In group<br>Subjects in the Check-In group will undergo three check-in sessions with the speech therapist. These sessions will happen remotely, via video-chat, and will last less than an hour. They will occur at 3-, 4-, and 5-months from the subject's enrollment date. | Behavioral: Monthly Check-in Session<br>* Subjects in the Check-In group will have an online session with a speech-language pathologist 3-, 4-, and 5-months from the subject's enrollment date.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control Arm<br>Subjects in the Control arm will not undergo three check-in sessions with the speech therapist. | |

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Assessment of Functional Communication Abilities | Functional Communication Abilities will be assessed through questionnaires about the participant's language and communication, neuropsychological testing, and speech and language therapy evaluations. | Change from baseline assessment at 2-months, 6-months and 12-months post-treatment | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
primary progressive aphasia, progressive nonfluent aphasia, progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration