The goal of this study is to remediate word-finding problems in patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) and to delay the further progression of word-finding impairment. The current approach is novel in that it contains a prophylaxis component in which we attempt to strengthen neural connections that remain functional, making them more resistant to degradation as the disease progresses. While the study is specific in its targeting of word-finding problems, a successful outcome would bode well for other studies aimed at prevention or reversal of declining cognitive functions in dementia. Patients with PPA whose naming of pictures has just begun to show signs of decline will receive practice with picture naming in two conditions: viewing the picture and repeating the name; and viewing the picture with its written name, plus reading and writing the name. Naming of pictures trained in each of these conditions will be compared, at three time intervals post-training, with naming of pictures tested before the study but never trained. A scene-description task containing trained items will be used to assess generalization. It is predicted that the pairing of the picture with its written name, combined with the motor task of writing the name, will result in a greater ability to name the picture at a later date than simple practice viewing the picture and repeating the name. Generalization to other exemplars and to other task situations is also predicted. In addition, we will image the brains of the patients to determine whether patterns of brain atrophy can be used to predict treatment response.

Public Health Relevance

Primary progressive aphasia is a progressive disorder of language processing. During the early stages of primary progressive aphasia, when patients are still living at home and functioning within the normal family setting, one of the greatest challenges to normal living is difficulty communicating caused in part by the inability to access the appropriate words. The successful delay or remediation of such word finding problems - the goal of the proposed study - would have significant consequences for the quality of life of patients with primary progressive aphasia, and for their families and caregivers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC011317-05
Application #
8889653
Study Section
Language and Communication Study Section (LCOM)
Program Officer
Cooper, Judith
Project Start
2011-08-01
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2017-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Georgetown University
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
049515844
City
Washington
State
DC
Country
United States
Zip Code
20057
Ficek, Bronte N; Wang, Zeyi; Zhao, Yi et al. (2018) The effect of tDCS on functional connectivity in primary progressive aphasia. Neuroimage Clin 19:703-715
Tippett, Donna C; Godin, Brittany R; Oishi, Kumiko et al. (2018) Impaired Recognition of Emotional Faces after Stroke Involving Right Amygdala or Insula. Semin Speech Lang 39:87-100
Meyer, Aaron M; Tippett, Donna C; Turner, R Scott et al. (2018) Long-Term maintenance of anomia treatment effects in primary progressive aphasia. Neuropsychol Rehabil :1-25
Tippett, Donna C (2018) Acute Care Management of Stroke. Semin Speech Lang 39:1-2
Meyer, Aaron M; Tippett, Donna C; Friedman, Rhonda B (2018) Prophylaxis and remediation of anomia in the semantic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia. Neuropsychol Rehabil 28:352-368
Meyer, Aaron M; Faria, Andreia V; Tippett, Donna C et al. (2017) The Relationship Between Baseline Volume in Temporal Areas and Post-Treatment Naming Accuracy in Primary Progressive Aphasia. Aphasiology 31:1059-1077
Sebastian, Rajani; Tsapkini, Kyrana; Tippett, Donna C (2016) Transcranial direct current stimulation in post stroke aphasia and primary progressive aphasia: Current knowledge and future clinical applications. NeuroRehabilitation 39:141-52
Meyer, Aaron M; Getz, Heidi R; Brennan, David M et al. (2016) Telerehabilitation of Anomia in Primary Progressive Aphasia. Aphasiology 30:483-507
Tippett, Donna C; Hillis, Argye E; Tsapkini, Kyrana (2015) Treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Curr Treat Options Neurol 17:362
Meyer, Aaron M; Snider, Sarah F; Campbell, Rachael E et al. (2015) Phonological short-term memory in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia and mild Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 71:183-9

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