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NCT Number: NCT06066710

Propranolol in 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.

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Key information

Conditions

Aphasia, Primary Progressive Aphasia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Communication Disorders Dementia Language Disorders Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurocognitive Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Speech Disorders

Age range

50 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Early Phase 1

Primary location

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 1. Age: 50 and older
  • 2. Primary Progressive Aphasia diagnosis
  • 3. Native English speaker

Exclusion criteria

  • 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
  • 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.

Treatment and study plan

Propranolol

Drug

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.

Placebo

Drug

Placebo will be given on the same schedule as the propranolol regime.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming Test

    Time frame: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks, 14 Weeks,18 Weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults

    Time frame: Day 1, 4 Weeks, 8 Weeks, 10 Weeks,14 Weeks,18 Weeks

    The State-Trait Anxiety scores range from 20-40. A higher score indicates more anxiety.

  2. Change in Semantic Word Fluency Tasks

    Time frame: Day 1, 8 Weeks,18 Weeks

    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.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

David Beversdorf, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

573-882-6081

Kim Ray

CONTACT

[email protected]

573-882-0515

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Missouri-Columbia

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Trial of Propranolol in Older Adults With Primary Progressive Aphasia

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Oct 4, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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