Home › Research › Digital health tools
Communication Bridge: A pilot feasibility study of Internet-based speech-language therapy for individuals with progressive aphasia
Rogalski EJ, Saxon M, McKenna H, Wieneke C, Rademaker A, Corden ME, Borio K, Mesulam MM et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.), 2016-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Introduction Individuals with aphasia symptoms due to neurodegenerative dementia are under-referred for speech-language therapy (SLT) services. We sought to determine the feasibility of utilizing telepractice, via Internet video conferencing, to connect an individual with progressive aphasia due to dementia to a speech-language pathologist for treatment. Methods Participants received an Initial Evaluation, 8 person-centered Internet-based SLT sessions and two Post-Therapy Evaluations. The feasibility of providing web-based SLT, strategies used and their compliance, functional gains and the duration of benefit were assessed. Results Thirty-four participants from 21 states and Canada were enrolled. Thirty-one participants completed the 6-month Evaluation. Speech-language pathologist-assessed and self-reported functional gains, as well as increased confidence in communication were documented at 2-months and maintained at 6-months post-enrollment. Discussion Internet-based SLT using person-centered interventions provides a feasible model for delivering care to individuals with dementia and mild/moderate aphasia symptoms who have an engaged care-partner and prior familiarity with a computer.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Rogalski, E. J., Saxon, M., McKenna, H., Wieneke, C., Rademaker, A., Corden, M. E., et al. (2016). Communication Bridge: A pilot feasibility study of Internet-based speech-language therapy for individuals with progressive aphasia. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.005
Vancouver
Rogalski EJ, Saxon M, McKenna H, Wieneke C, Rademaker A, Corden ME, et al. Communication Bridge: A pilot feasibility study of Internet-based speech-language therapy for individuals with progressive aphasia. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). 2016. doi:10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.005. PMID: 28503656.
BibTeX
@article{rogalski2016-28503656,
author = {Rogalski, E. J. and Saxon, M. and McKenna, H. and Wieneke, C. and Rademaker, A. and Corden, M. E. and Borio, K. and Mesulam, M. M. and others},
title = {{Communication Bridge: A pilot feasibility study of Internet-based speech-language therapy for individuals with progressive aphasia}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia (New York, N. Y.)},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.005},
pmid = {28503656},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.005}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Thirty-four participants from 21 states and Canada were enrolled.
Why it matters
This pilot feasibility study tested Internet-based speech-language therapy for people with progressive aphasia due to dementia, and reported functional gains and increased communication confidence at 2 months that were maintained at 6 months. It is a small feasibility study of a communication therapy, not a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Digital health →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions: journal h-index 84 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 88 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.3 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 28 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Becky Khayum: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Northwestern University: institution h-index 1,592 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28503656) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.005
- PubMed: 28503656
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Digital health tools
Also in Digital health tools
178 studies in the library are filed under Digital health tools with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Digital health tools hub.