Primary Progressive AphasiaNCT00537004
Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia
An observational study of Primary Progressive Aphasia, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to further define the neurological and linguistic deterioration in primary progressive aphasia. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
- How many people
- 500 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- May 2007to Apr 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants with PPA will be recruited from the Northwestern University Alzheimer's Disease Center Core registry, the Northwestern University Neurobehavior and Memory Clinic, and from those who contact the center that are interested in PPA research.
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia
- Right-handed
- Native English speaker
- Visual acuity of 20/30 corrected
- Adequate hearing to follow conversation
- Safe for an MRI scan
Who cannot join
- Left-handedness
- Claustrophobia
- Presence of significant medical illness that initially or in the future could interfere with continued participation in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
Seyi Adeolu, 312-503-2398, PPA.Research@northwestern.edu
M.-Marsel Mesulam, MD
About this study
Official title: Asymmetric Neurodegeneration and Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia
The purpose of this study is to further define the neurological and linguistic deterioration in primary progressive aphasia.
Read the detailed description
The Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) aims to understand the behavioral, anatomical and physiological changes in people with PPA throughout the course of the illness. The researchers in this study want to increase awareness of PPA, educate others about this unique disorder, and to encourage more research to eventually develop therapies.
During the three-day research program, participants will be asked to undergo neuropsychological testing (paper and pencil tests that evaluate cognition), advanced imaging (MRI and PET), cognitive experiments, and other computer and language testing batteries. Participants may be asked to return every two years to complete the same measures.
For participants not living near Chicago, IL, flights and accommodations (for both the person with PPA and their companion) will be covered by the study.
- Conditions
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
- Keywords
- primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, progressive nonfluent aphasia, progressive aphasia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration
- Medical subject headings
- Aphasia, Primary Progressive, Frontotemporal Dementia, Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia, Aphasia, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| PPA (Primary Progressive Aphasia) | Individuals with primary progressive aphasia | |
| Control | Individuals with no diagnosis of any type of dementia |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neuropsychological variables
Measured: Immediately after testing and at two years post-testing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Sep 2007 (estimated)
- Study startMay 2007
- Primary completionApr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Primary Progressive AphasiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Marsel Mesulam, Northwestern University
- Investigators
- Marsel Mesulam, MD, Principal investigator, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00537004
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IA0125
- Other IDs
- R01AG077444
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Sep 2007
- Last updated
- 27 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Mesulam MM. Slowly progressive aphasia without generalized dementia. Ann Neurol. 1982 Jun;11(6):592-8. doi: 10.1002/ana.410110607.
PubMed 7114808Weintraub S, Rubin NP, Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia. Longitudinal course, neuropsychological profile, and language features. Arch Neurol. 1990 Dec;47(12):1329-35. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1990.00530120075013.
PubMed 2252450Mesulam MM, Coventry C, Kuang A, Bigio EH, Mao Q, Flanagan ME, Gefen T, Sridhar J, Geula C, Zhang H, Weintraub S, Rogalski EJ. Memory Resilience in Alzheimer Disease With Primary Progressive Aphasia. Neurology. 2021 Feb 9;96(6):e916-e925. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011397. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
PubMed 33441454
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Asymmetric Neurodegeneration and Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00537004
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IA0125
- Conditions
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
- Keywords
- primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, progressive nonfluent aphasia, progressive aphasia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Study start
- May 2007 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Sep 2007 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to further define the neurological and linguistic deterioration in primary progressive aphasia.
Detailed description
The Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) aims to understand the behavioral, anatomical and physiological changes in people with PPA throughout the course of the illness. The researchers in this study want to increase awareness of PPA, educate others about this unique disorder, and to encourage more research to eventually develop therapies.
During the three-day research program, participants will be asked to undergo neuropsychological testing (paper and pencil tests that evaluate cognition), advanced imaging (MRI and PET), cognitive experiments, and other computer and language testing batteries. Participants may be asked to return every two years to complete the same measures.
For participants not living near Chicago, IL, flights and accommodations (for both the person with PPA and their companion) will be covered by the study.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| PPA (Primary Progressive Aphasia) | – | –Individuals with primary progressive aphasia |
| Control | – | –Individuals with no diagnosis of any type of dementia |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants with PPA will be recruited from the Northwestern University Alzheimer's Disease Center Core registry, the Northwestern University Neurobehavior and Memory Clinic, and from those who contact the center that are interested in PPA research.
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia
- Right-handed
- Native English speaker
- Visual acuity of 20/30 corrected
- Adequate hearing to follow conversation
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Left-handedness
- Claustrophobia
- Presence of significant medical illness that initially or in the future could interfere with continued participation in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Neuropsychological variables
Time frame: Immediately after testing and at two years post-testing
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Feb 2026.
- Background: PubMed 7114808Mesulam MM. Slowly progressive aphasia without generalized dementia. Ann Neurol. 1982 Jun;11(6):592-8. doi: 10.1002/ana.410110607.
- Background: PubMed 2252450Weintraub S, Rubin NP, Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia. Longitudinal course, neuropsychological profile, and language features. Arch Neurol. 1990 Dec;47(12):1329-35. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1990.00530120075013.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33441454Mesulam MM, Coventry C, Kuang A, Bigio EH, Mao Q, Flanagan ME, Gefen T, Sridhar J, Geula C, Zhang H, Weintraub S, Rogalski EJ. Memory Resilience in Alzheimer Disease With Primary Progressive Aphasia. Neurology. 2021 Feb 9;96(6):e916-e925. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011397. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
- PPA Research at Northwestern UniversityLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Marsel Mesulam, MD principal investigator
Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Primary Progressive Aphasia, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Elizabeth A Haynes (312-503-2398, PPA.Research@northwestern.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neuropsychological variables (time frame: Immediately after testing and at two years post-testing). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00537004, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Feb 2026.