PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE APHASIA

Abstract

Primary progressive aphasia（PPA）is a clinical syndrome diagnosed in any patient in whom a language impairment（aphasia）, caused by a neurodegenerative disease（progressive）, constitutes the most salient aspect of the initial clinical picture（primary）. The language impairment can be fluent or non-fluent and may or may not interfere with word comprehension. Memory for recent events is preserved although memory scores obtained in verbally mediated tests may be abnormal. Minor changes in personality and behavior may be present but are not the leading factors that bring the patient to medical attention or that disrupt daily living activities. This selective clinical pattern is most conspicuous in the initial stages of the disease, and reflects a relatively selective atrophy of the language network, usually located in the left hemisphere. There are different clinical variants of PPA, each with a distinctive pattern of atrophy and neuropathology.