Home › Research › Digital health tools
Principles and philosophies for speech and language therapists working with people with primary progressive aphasia: an international expert consensus
Volkmer A, Cartwright J, Ruggero L, Beales A, Gallée J, Grasso S, Henry M, Jokel R et al.. Disability and rehabilitation, 2022-03-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Purpose Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a language-led dementia associated with Alzheimer's pathology and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration. Multiple tailored speech and language interventions have been developed for people with PPA. Speech and language therapists/speech-language pathologists (SLT/Ps) report lacking confidence in identifying the most pertinent interventions options relevant to their clients living with PPA during their illness trajectory. Materials and methods The aim of this study was to establish a consensus amongst 15 clinical-academic SLT/Ps on best practice in selection and delivery of speech and language therapy interventions for people with PPA. An online nominal group technique (NGT) and consequent focus group session were held. NGT rankings were aggregated and focus groups video recorded, transcribed, and reflexive thematic analysis undertaken. Results The results of the NGT identified 17 items. Two main themes and seven further subthemes were identified in the focus groups. The main themes comprised (1) philosophy of person-centredness and (2) complexity. The seven subthemes were knowing people deeply, preventing disasters, practical issues, professional development, connectedness, barriers and limitations, and peer support and mentoring towards a shared understanding. Conclusions This study describes the philosophy of expert practice and outlines a set of best practice principles when working with people with PPA.Implications for rehabilitationPrimary progressive aphasia (PPA) describes a group of language led dementias which deteriorate inexorably over time.Providing speech and language therapy for people with PPA is complex and must be person centred and bespoke.This study describes the philosophy of expert practice and outlines a set of best practice principles for speech and language therapists/pathologists working with people with people with PPA.
Key findings
- Purpose Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a language-led dementia associated with Alzheimer's pathology and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration.
- Results The results of the NGT identified 17 items.
Why it matters
This consensus report describes the philosophy and practical approaches that speech and language therapists use when working with people who have primary progressive aphasia. It offers guidance on care delivery and does not report any treatment that cures, prevents, or modifies Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Digital health →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed 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 | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Disability and rehabilitation) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Disability and Rehabilitation: journal h-index 175 (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 | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 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 69 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.8 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.2× 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 | 3 / 4 | Cited 51 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Deborah Hersh: h-index 30 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 16 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35352609) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2051080
- PubMed: 35352609
- Original source →
- Free full text: Disability and Rehabilitation →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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.
APA 7th
Volkmer, A., Cartwright, J., Ruggero, L., Beales, A., Gallée, J., Grasso, S., et al. (2023). Principles and philosophies for speech and language therapists working with people with primary progressive aphasia: an international expert consensus. Disability and rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2051080
Vancouver
Volkmer A, Cartwright J, Ruggero L, Beales A, Gallée J, Grasso S, et al. Principles and philosophies for speech and language therapists working with people with primary progressive aphasia: an international expert consensus. Disability and rehabilitation. 2023. doi:10.1080/09638288.2022.2051080. PMID: 35352609.
BibTeX
@article{volkmer2023-35352609,
author = {Volkmer, A. and Cartwright, J. and Ruggero, L. and Beales, A. and Gallée, J. and Grasso, S. and Henry, M. and Jokel, R. and others},
title = {{Principles and philosophies for speech and language therapists working with people with primary progressive aphasia: an international expert consensus}},
journal = {Disability and rehabilitation},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1080/09638288.2022.2051080},
pmid = {35352609},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2051080}
}
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.