Aphasia, Primary ProgressiveEarly Phase 1NCT06066710
Propranolol in Primary Progressive Aphasia
A Early Phase 1 study testing Propranolol and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in people with Aphasia, Primary Progressive, run by University of Missouri-Columbia at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to find out how the language of people with Primary Progressive Aphasia is affected by Propranolol. Propranolol is not FDA approved for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Propranolol is FDA approved for the treatment of heart conditions such as blood pressure. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Aphasia, Primary Progressive
- What is being tested?
- Propranolol and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 13 Jan 2025to Dec 2027
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- 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 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 1. Age: 50 and older
- 2. Primary Progressive Aphasia diagnosis
- 3. Native English speaker
Who cannot join
- 1. Unable to provide consent
- 2. Taking alpha 2 agonists (clonidine and guanfacine)
- 3. Other major psychological or neurological diagnosis
- 4. Major head trauma that contributed to their condition
- 5. Allergic reaction to adhesives
- 6. Uncorrected vision/hearing impairments
Show all 14Show fewer
- 7. Diabetes
- 8. Reactive airway disease
- 9. Untreated hypothyroidism
- 10. Bradyarrhythmia
- 11. Unexplained syncope
- 12. Pregnancy (assessed verbally on the days of MR imaging)
- 13. Drugs that interact with propranolol, such as alpha 2 agonists
- 14. Claustrophobia, inner ear implants, aneurysm or other surgical clips, metal foreign bodies in eye, pacemaker or other contraindication to MR scanning. Subjects with any implanted device that cannot be verified as MRI compliant will be excluded.
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
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri, 65212
David Beversdorf, MD, 573-882-6081, beversdorfd@health.missouri.edu
Kim Ray, 573-882-0515, raykk@health.missouri.edu
About this study
Official title: Trial of Propranolol in Older Adults With Primary Progressive Aphasia
The purpose of this study is to find out how the language of people with Primary Progressive Aphasia is affected by Propranolol. Propranolol is not FDA approved for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Propranolol is FDA approved for the treatment of heart conditions such as blood pressure.
This research is being done because there are currently no drug treatment options for language impairments and anxiety often experienced by people with Primary Progressive Aphasia.
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Primary Progressive
- Being tested
- Propranolol, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Placebo
- Medical subject headings
- Aphasia, Primary Progressive
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
PropranololDrug
Propranolol will be given on a titration schedule in which participants will begin with small doses of the drug and increase to a larger dosage over the course of three weeks. Propranolol will be taken for a total of 9 weeks.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Device
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will be performed at 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla, for both propranolol and placebo arms.
PlaceboDrug
Placebo will be given on the same schedule as the propranolol regime.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Propanolol and MRI | Experimental | Participants will receive propranolol via oral capsule. The drug dosage will be titrated slowly to ensure the drug is tolerated well. Receives: Drug: Propranolol; Device: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
| Placebo and MRI | Placebo comparator | Participants will receive placebo via oral capsule. Receives: Device: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI); Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Test
Measured: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks, 14 Weeks,18 Weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults
The State-Trait Anxiety scores range from 20-40. A higher score indicates more anxiety.
Measured: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks,14 Weeks,18 Weeks
Change in Semantic Word Fluency Tasks
The Semantic Word Fluency task measures the subject's ability to name as many items in a minute in a given category. The total number of correct and non-repeated responses are totaled for each category. There is no minimum or maximum score. Higher scores indicate better word fluency.
Measured: Day 1, 8 Weeks,18 Weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Oct 2023
- Study start13 Jan 2025
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (13)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Aphasia, Primary ProgressiveStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, David Beversdorf, University of Missouri-Columbia
- Investigators
- David Beversdorf, MD, Principal investigator, University of Missouri-Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06066710
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2097152
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Sep 2023
- Last updated
- 17 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia. Ann Neurol. 2001 Apr;49(4):425-32.
PubMed 11310619Mesulam M, Weintraub S. Primary progressive aphasia and kindred disorders. Handb Clin Neurol. 2008;89:573-87. doi: 10.1016/S0072-9752(07)01254-7. No abstract available.
PubMed 18631780Gorno-Tempini ML, Hillis AE, Weintraub S, Kertesz A, Mendez M, Cappa SF, Ogar JM, Rohrer JD, Black S, Boeve BF, Manes F, Dronkers NF, Vandenberghe R, Rascovsky K, Patterson K, Miller BL, Knopman DS, Hodges JR, Mesulam MM, Grossman M. Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology. 2011 Mar 15;76(11):1006-14. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31821103e6. Epub 2011 Feb 16.
PubMed 21325651Johnson JK, Diehl J, Mendez MF, Neuhaus J, Shapira JS, Forman M, Chute DJ, Roberson ED, Pace-Savitsky C, Neumann M, Chow TW, Rosen HJ, Forstl H, Kurz A, Miller BL. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: demographic characteristics of 353 patients. Arch Neurol. 2005 Jun;62(6):925-30. doi: 10.1001/archneur.62.6.925.
PubMed 15956163Grossman M. Primary progressive aphasia: clinicopathological correlations. Nat Rev Neurol. 2010 Feb;6(2):88-97. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2009.216.
PubMed 20139998Albert ML, Bachman DL, Morgan A, Helm-Estabrooks N. Pharmacotherapy for aphasia. Neurology. 1988 Jun;38(6):877-9. doi: 10.1212/wnl.38.6.877.
PubMed 3368068Walker-Batson D, Curtis S, Natarajan R, Ford J, Dronkers N, Salmeron E, Lai J, Unwin DH. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the use of amphetamine in the treatment of aphasia. Stroke. 2001 Sep;32(9):2093-8. doi: 10.1161/hs0901.095720.
PubMed 11546902Beversdorf DQ. Pharmacotherapy of aphasia. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2007 Jan-Feb;22(1):65-6. doi: 10.1097/00001199-200701000-00008. No abstract available.
PubMed 17235233Zamzow RM, Ferguson BJ, Stichter JP, Porges EC, Ragsdale AS, Lewis ML, Beversdorf DQ. Effects of propranolol on conversational reciprocity in autism spectrum disorder: a pilot, double-blind, single-dose psychopharmacological challenge study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016 Apr;233(7):1171-8. doi: 10.1007/s00213-015-4199-0. Epub 2016 Jan 14.
PubMed 26762378Beversdorf DQ, Sharma UK, Phillips NN, Notestine MA, Slivka AP, Friedman NM, Schneider SL, Nagaraja HN, Hillier A. Effect of propranolol on naming in chronic Broca's aphasia with anomia. Neurocase. 2007 Aug;13(4):256-9. doi: 10.1080/13554790701595471.
PubMed 17886000Faigel HC. The effect of beta blockade on stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in adolescents. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1991 Jul;30(7):441-5. doi: 10.1177/000992289103000706.
PubMed 1879101Laverdure B, Boulenger JP. [Beta-blocking drugs and anxiety. A proven therapeutic value]. Encephale. 1991 Sep-Oct;17(5):481-92. French.
PubMed 1686251Cahana-Amitay D, Albert ML, Pyun SB, Westwood A, Jenkins T, Wolford S, Finley M. Language as a Stressor in Aphasia. Aphasiology. 2011;25(2):593-614. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2010.541469. Epub 2011 Apr 19.
PubMed 22701271
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Trial of Propranolol in Older Adults With Primary Progressive Aphasia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06066710
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2097152
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Primary Progressive
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Missouri-ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 13 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Oct 2023 (actual)
- 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 find out how the language of people with Primary Progressive Aphasia is affected by Propranolol. Propranolol is not FDA approved for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Propranolol is FDA approved for the treatment of heart conditions such as blood pressure.
This research is being done because there are currently no drug treatment options for language impairments and anxiety often experienced by people with Primary Progressive Aphasia.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Propanolol and MRI | Experimental | Drug: Propranolol, Device: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Participants will receive propranolol via oral capsule. The drug dosage will be titrated slowly to ensure the drug is tolerated well. |
| Placebo and MRI | Placebo comparator | Device: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Drug: PlaceboParticipants will receive placebo via oral capsule. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 1. Age: 50 and older
- 2. Primary Progressive Aphasia diagnosis
- 3. Native English speaker
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- 1. Unable to provide consent
- 2. Taking alpha 2 agonists (clonidine and guanfacine)
- 3. Other major psychological or neurological diagnosis
- 4. Major head trauma that contributed to their condition
- 5. Allergic reaction to adhesives
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| PropranololPropranolol will be given on a titration schedule in which participants will begin with small doses of the drug and increase to a larger dosage over the course of three weeks. Propranolol will be taken for a total of 9 weeks. | Drug | Propanolol and MRI |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will be performed at 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla, for both propranolol and placebo arms. | Device | Placebo and MRI, Propanolol and MRI |
| PlaceboPlacebo will be given on the same schedule as the propranolol regime. | Drug | Placebo and MRI |
Primary outcome
Change in Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Test
Time frame: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks, 14 Weeks,18 Weeks
2 secondary outcomes
Change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults
Time frame: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks,14 Weeks,18 Weeks
Change in Semantic Word Fluency Tasks
Time frame: Day 1, 8 Weeks,18 Weeks
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 17 Jul 2026.
- Background: PubMed 11310619Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia. Ann Neurol. 2001 Apr;49(4):425-32.
- Background: PubMed 18631780Mesulam M, Weintraub S. Primary progressive aphasia and kindred disorders. Handb Clin Neurol. 2008;89:573-87. doi: 10.1016/S0072-9752(07)01254-7. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 21325651Gorno-Tempini ML, Hillis AE, Weintraub S, Kertesz A, Mendez M, Cappa SF, Ogar JM, Rohrer JD, Black S, Boeve BF, Manes F, Dronkers NF, Vandenberghe R, Rascovsky K, Patterson K, Miller BL, Knopman DS, Hodges JR, Mesulam MM, Grossman M. Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology. 2011 Mar 15;76(11):1006-14. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31821103e6. Epub 2011 Feb 16.
- Background: PubMed 15956163Johnson JK, Diehl J, Mendez MF, Neuhaus J, Shapira JS, Forman M, Chute DJ, Roberson ED, Pace-Savitsky C, Neumann M, Chow TW, Rosen HJ, Forstl H, Kurz A, Miller BL. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: demographic characteristics of 353 patients. Arch Neurol. 2005 Jun;62(6):925-30. doi: 10.1001/archneur.62.6.925.
- Background: PubMed 20139998Grossman M. Primary progressive aphasia: clinicopathological correlations. Nat Rev Neurol. 2010 Feb;6(2):88-97. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2009.216.
- Background: PubMed 3368068Albert ML, Bachman DL, Morgan A, Helm-Estabrooks N. Pharmacotherapy for aphasia. Neurology. 1988 Jun;38(6):877-9. doi: 10.1212/wnl.38.6.877.
- Background: PubMed 11546902Walker-Batson D, Curtis S, Natarajan R, Ford J, Dronkers N, Salmeron E, Lai J, Unwin DH. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the use of amphetamine in the treatment of aphasia. Stroke. 2001 Sep;32(9):2093-8. doi: 10.1161/hs0901.095720.
- Background: PubMed 17235233Beversdorf DQ. Pharmacotherapy of aphasia. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2007 Jan-Feb;22(1):65-6. doi: 10.1097/00001199-200701000-00008. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 26762378Zamzow RM, Ferguson BJ, Stichter JP, Porges EC, Ragsdale AS, Lewis ML, Beversdorf DQ. Effects of propranolol on conversational reciprocity in autism spectrum disorder: a pilot, double-blind, single-dose psychopharmacological challenge study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016 Apr;233(7):1171-8. doi: 10.1007/s00213-015-4199-0. Epub 2016 Jan 14.
- Background: PubMed 17886000Beversdorf DQ, Sharma UK, Phillips NN, Notestine MA, Slivka AP, Friedman NM, Schneider SL, Nagaraja HN, Hillier A. Effect of propranolol on naming in chronic Broca's aphasia with anomia. Neurocase. 2007 Aug;13(4):256-9. doi: 10.1080/13554790701595471.
- Background: PubMed 1879101Faigel HC. The effect of beta blockade on stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in adolescents. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1991 Jul;30(7):441-5. doi: 10.1177/000992289103000706.
- Background: PubMed 1686251Laverdure B, Boulenger JP. [Beta-blocking drugs and anxiety. A proven therapeutic value]. Encephale. 1991 Sep-Oct;17(5):481-92. French.
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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.
David Beversdorf, MD principal investigator
University of Missouri-Columbia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Early Phase 1 study testing Propranolol and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in people with Aphasia, Primary Progressive, run by University of Missouri-Columbia 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 3 inclusion and 14 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 17 Jul 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
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 David Beversdorf, MD (573-882-6081, beversdorfd@health.missouri.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Test (time frame: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks, 14 Weeks,18 Weeks). 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 NCT06066710, which also lists 13 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 17 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.