Faculty Collaboration Database

Neuropsychological Profiles Differ among the Three Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2015 Jul;21(6):429-35

Date

06/13/2015

Pubmed ID

26067425

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6261353

DOI

10.1017/S1355617715000399

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84938284763 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   63 Citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the neuropsychological profiles of the three variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Based on a comprehensive speech and language evaluation, 91 subjects were classified as logopenic (lvPPA=51), semantic (svPPA=13), or agrammatic (agPPA=27). All subjects completed a separate neuropsychological evaluation assessing verbal and visual memory, processing speed, executive function, and visuospatial function. The groups did not differ on demographic variables or on measures of disease duration or aphasia severity. There were group differences on aspects of learning and memory, as well as aspects of executive and visuospatial functions, primarily with the lvPPA group performing lower than the agPPA and svPPA groups. The agPPA group showed subtle deficits consistent with frontal lobe impairment, whereas neurocognitive weaknesses in the svPPA group were restricted to temporal lobe functions. The pattern of neurocognitive dysfunction in lvPPA suggests disease involvement of frontal lobe functions in addition to temporoparietal functions. These neurocognitive findings emphasize the value of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation of individuals who present with primary language disturbance, given the pattern of cognitive deficits may provide additive information for differentiating these clinical syndromes.

Author List

Butts AM, Machulda MM, Duffy JR, Strand EA, Whitwell JL, Josephs KA

Author

Alissa Butts PhD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Analysis of Variance
Aphasia, Primary Progressive
Cognition Disorders
Executive Function
Female
Humans
Language
Male
Memory Disorders
Middle Aged
Neurologic Examination
Neuropsychological Tests
Retrospective Studies
Space Perception
Speech
Verbal Learning