Abstract
This study aimed to propose the classification of the patients who met the criteria of PNFA/ nfvPPA, which predicts the prognosis. Patients with nfvPPA were included (n＝24) . All patients underwent a standardized clinical assessment, neuropsychological examinations including Western Aphasia Battery, sentence making test and, neuroimaging examinations (MRI and regional cerebral blood flow using SPECT) . Six patients were diagnosed as having aphasia such as Broaʼs aphasia or transcortical motor aphasia which are caused by the frontal lobe lesions. The rest 18 patients showed pure anarthrie/ apraxia of speech were divided into some subgroups: 1) 5 patients developed pseudobulbar symptoms and showed anterior operculum syndrome, 2) 3 patients showed only anarthrie/ apraxia of speech for 5-7 years from the onset, 3) 3 patients were accompanied ataxia in 2-3 years, 4) 7 patients developed parkinsonisms or central gyrus syndromes and diagnosed as having CBS in 2-5 years. The result indicated that the PNFA/ nfvPPA could be divided into at least 3 subtypes, and these clinical symptoms at first consult after 1-3years from the onset could predict the prognosis.
