# Communication Bridge: A person-centered Internet-based intervention for individuals with primary progressive aphasia

> **NIH NIH R56** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $2,184,811

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Language and communication impairments (aphasia) are the defining features of the clinical neurodegenerative
dementia syndrome primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which can be caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or
frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The devastation of communication negatively impacts quality of life for
persons living with PPA and their care partners. Communication difficulties in PPA can also reduce life-space
mobility, shrink social interactions, and lower participation in community activities. Nonpharmacological
interventions, including speech-language and psychosocial intervention, may offer significant benefit to the
quality of life for persons with PPA and their care partners, but have historically lacked efficacy evidence as well
as guidelines to direct best clinical care practices. We have been changing this landscape, through the
development of the Communication Bridge (CB) intervention with strategically staged, rigorous clinical trials that
are on a path towards implementation. The CB1 trial established feasibility of delivering our intervention at a
global scale via telepractice and demonstrated gains in functional communication outcomes that were
maintained 6-months post baseline. Next, the CB2 trial provided the first rigorous Phase 2a, Stage II, superiority,
randomized controlled trial (RCT) of speech-language intervention in PPA. This project proposes the CB3
trial, a Phase 2b, Stage II, RCT to test whether the combined speech-language intervention with
psychosocial education and counselling intervention (Experimental) shows superior response in
primary outcomes for persons with PPA and their care partners compared to the CB intervention alone
(Control). The RCT will be complemented by Aim 1a, which will examine mechanisms of the interventions; Aim
1b, which will assess pragmatic trial readiness following the Readiness Assessment for Pragmatic Trials (RAPT)
model; and Aim 2, which will explore functional outcomes with novel wearable sensors to objectively measure
life participation using a ‘Life-Space’ mobility framework. Trial outcomes will determine which intervention to put
forward for implementation. The translational potential is high since the delivery model and primary outcomes
are aligned with current clinical practice. In the absence of a definitive cure for AD and related neurodegenerative
diseases, it is important to identify and evaluate strategies that help individuals maximize their quality of life, and
this project will help fulfill this need.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10674605
- **Project number:** 2R56AG055425-06
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** EMILY J ROGALSKI
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $2,184,811
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-09-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10674605

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10674605, Communication Bridge: A person-centered Internet-based intervention for individuals with primary progressive aphasia (2R56AG055425-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10674605. Licensed CC0.

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