Home brain stimulation with online speech therapy for a language disorder
Tests home brain stimulation with online speech therapy in adults with logopenic primary progressive aphasia.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Remotely-supervised Neuromodulation in PPA
Key facts
- Where
- Austin and San Francisco, United StatesSee the 2 sites
Where in United States
- University of TexasAustin, United StatesTaking people
- UCSF Memory and Aging CenerSan Francisco, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Maya Henry
- Trial code
- NCT07260253
- Record updated
- 4 September 2026
- Original description
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether home-based brain stimulation combined with virtual speech-language therapy can improve communication abilities in adults with logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA), a language disorder most often caused by Alzheimer's disease.Read full original descriptionShow less
Investigating the Benefits of Remotely-Supervised Neuromodulation In Primary Progressive Aphasia
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether home-based brain stimulation combined with virtual speech-language therapy can improve communication abilities in adults with logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA), a language disorder most often caused by Alzheimer's disease.
The main questions the study aims to answer are:
* Is combining remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with virtual speech-language therapy feasible and acceptable for people with lvPPA? * Does this combined treatment lead to improvements in communication compared to speech-language therapy with sham (placebo) stimulation? * Do individual brain characteristics help predict who benefits most from this treatment?
Researchers will compare participants who receive active tDCS plus virtual speech-language therapy to participants who receive sham (placebo) tDCS plus virtual speech-language therapy to see if active brain stimulation enhances communication outcomes.
Participants will:
* Complete speech-language therapy sessions delivered by video visit. * Receive either active or sham tDCS that is remotely supervised and completed at home. * Complete language and cognitive testing before and after treatment. * Undergo brain imaging and other assessments to help understand treatment response.
Inclusion: Meets diagnostic criteria for primary progressive aphasia (PPA); Meets diagnostic criteria for logopenic variant PPA; Attains score of 15 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination; Has adequate hearing and vision (with hearing or vision aids, if needed); Is able to travel to research site and undergo MRI brain scan; Has access to high speed internet and basic experience using a computer and the internet; Is a fluent speaker of English; Has a study partner who can co-enroll in the study, attend pre-treatment training at the research site, and be present for teleconference meetings, as needed.
Exclusion: Speech and language deficits better accounted for by another neurological disorder; Has contraindications for tDCS or MRI scan (History of seizures, head injury, craniotomy, skull surgery or fracture; History of severe or frequent migraines; Metallic implant in head or any metal in head; Pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator or any other stimulator; Chronic skin problems; Pregnancy); Has a history of stroke, epilepsy, or significant brain injury; Does not meet diagnostic criteria for logopenic variant PPA; Scores less than 15 on the Mini-Mental State Examination; Does not have a study partner who can co-enroll in the study.