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Volkmer A, Cross L, Highton L, Jackson C, Smith C, Brotherhood E, Harding EV, Mummery C, Rohrer J, Weil R, Yong K, Crutch S, Hardy CJD. 'Communication is difficult': Speech, language and communication needs of people with young onset or rarer forms of non-language led dementia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2024; 59:1553-1577. [PMID: 38329409 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.13018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, posterior cortical atrophy and young onset Alzheimer's disease may experience language and communication difficulties. However, the role of speech and language interventions for people with these non-language led dementias has received little attention. AIMS This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of people living with these conditions, and their families, regarding their language and communication difficulties and how speech and language therapy could address these needs. METHODS This study employed a qualitative design to explore the experiences of people living with or caring for somebody with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, posterior cortical atrophy or young onset Alzheimer's disease, and to understand their opinions about speech and language therapy. Participants were recruited from a support service connected to a dementia clinic to attend one of five focus group meetings. Videorecorded focus groups and interviews were transcribed, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data from people affected by each type of dementia. RESULTS A total of 25 participants were recruited to the study, with representation across the different forms of non-language led dementias. The four main themes identified were: (1) communication difficulties as a key difficulty, (2) loss and loneliness, (3) speech and language therapy, and (4) the role of the caregiver. Sixteen subthemes were also identified which highlighted individual issues across disease types. DISCUSSION Although all the forms of dementia studied here are not considered to be language-led, people with these conditions and/or their care partners identified speech, language and communication as common challenges. These communication difficulties were reported to have a negative impact on their social participation and mental health and participants felt speech and language interventions could help. There is a need for research exploring speech and language interventions developed for and with people with non-language led dementias and their care partners, to ensure they meet the needs of the people they are designed for. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject People with primary progressive aphasia present with speech, language and communication difficulties, and several speech and language interventions have been developed to meet the needs of this population. However, people with non-language led dementias may also experience speech, language and communication difficulties, and little is known about interventions that may address these difficulties. What this paper adds to existing knowledge People living with or caring for somebody with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, posterior cortical atrophy and young onset Alzheimer's disease report experiencing speech, language and communication difficulties that impact on the person with dementia's social participation and mood. Participants in this study also shared their opinions about how speech and language interventions could help, from the earliest stages of the disease. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Speech and language therapists need to address the individual speech, language and communication needs of people with dementias, even those that are not thought to be language-led. Current speech and language therapy service provision does not meet the needs of people with non-language led dementias and further research is required to develop interventions and services to meet these needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Volkmer
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lisa Cross
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lily Highton
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Whittington Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Connie Jackson
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Chloe Smith
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emilie Brotherhood
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emma V Harding
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cath Mummery
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan Rohrer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rimona Weil
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Keir Yong
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Crutch
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chris J D Hardy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Volkmer A, Copland DA, Henry ML, Warren JD, Varley R, Wallace SJ, Hardy CJ. COS-PPA: protocol to develop a core outcome set for primary progressive aphasia. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e078714. [PMID: 38719304 PMCID: PMC11086495 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The term primary progressive aphasia (PPA) describes a group of language-led dementias. Disease-modifying treatments that delay, slow or reverse progression of PPA are currently lacking, though a number of interventions to manage the symptoms of PPA have been developed in recent years. Unfortunately, studies exploring the effectiveness of these interventions have used a variety of different outcome measures, limiting comparability. There are more constructs, apart from word retrieval, that are important for people with PPA that have not received much attention in the research literature. Existing core outcome sets (COS) for dementia and non-progressive aphasia do not meet the needs of people with PPA, highlighting a need to develop a specific COS for PPA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This protocol describes a three-stage study to identify a COS for PPA interventions in research and clinical practice. The stage 1 systematic review will identify existing speech, language and communication measures used to examine the effectiveness of interventions for PPA in the research literature. Employing a nominal group technique, stage 2 will identify the most important outcomes for people with PPA and their families. The data collected in stages 1 and 2 will be jointly analysed with the project PPI group and will inform the stage 2 modified Delphi consensus study to identify a core outcome measurement set for PPA among a range of research disciplines undertaking intervention studies for people with PPA. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval for stage 2 of the study has been sought individually in each country at collaborating institutions and is stated in detail in the manuscript. Stage 3 has been granted ethical approval by the Chairs of UCL Language and Cognition Department Ethics, Project ID LCD-2023-06. Work undertaken at stages 1, 2 and 3 will be published in open-access peer-reviewed journal articles and presented at international scientific conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022367565.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Volkmer
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - David A Copland
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) Education and Research Alliance, The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maya L Henry
- Departments of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rosemary Varley
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Wallace
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) Education and Research Alliance, The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Chris Jd Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
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Yong KXX, Graff-Radford J, Ahmed S, Chapleau M, Ossenkoppele R, Putcha D, Rabinovici GD, Suarez-Gonzalez A, Schott JM, Crutch S, Harding E. Diagnosis and Management of Posterior Cortical Atrophy. Curr Treat Options Neurol 2023; 25:23-43. [PMID: 36820004 PMCID: PMC9935654 DOI: 10.1007/s11940-022-00745-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of review The study aims to provide a summary of recent developments for diagnosing and managing posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). We present current efforts to improve PCA characterisation and recommendations regarding use of clinical, neuropsychological and biomarker methods in PCA diagnosis and management and highlight current knowledge gaps. Recent findings Recent multi-centre consensus recommendations provide PCA criteria with implications for different management strategies (e.g. targeting clinical features and/or disease). Studies emphasise the preponderance of primary or co-existing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology underpinning PCA. Evidence of approaches to manage PCA symptoms is largely derived from small studies. Summary PCA diagnosis is frequently delayed, and people are likely to receive misdiagnoses of ocular or psychological conditions. Current treatment of PCA is symptomatic - pharmacological and non-pharmacological - and the use of most treatment options is based on small studies or expert opinion. Recommendations for non-pharmacological approaches include interdisciplinary management tailored to the PCA clinical profile - visual-spatial - rather than memory-led, predominantly young onset - and psychosocial implications. Whilst emerging disease-modifying treatments have not been tested in PCA, an accurate and timely diagnosis of PCA and determining underlying pathology is of increasing importance in the advent of disease-modifying therapies for AD and other albeit rare causes of PCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keir X. X. Yong
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Box 16, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | | | - Samrah Ahmed
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire UK
| | - Marianne Chapleau
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Rik Ossenkoppele
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Deepti Putcha
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Gil D. Rabinovici
- Department of Neurology, Radiology, and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Aida Suarez-Gonzalez
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Box 16, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Jonathan M. Schott
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Box 16, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Sebastian Crutch
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Box 16, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Emma Harding
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Box 16, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
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Li D, Yu YY, Hu N, Zhang M, Sun FL, Liu L, Fan LM, Ruan SS, Wang F, Rosa-Neto P. Composite Indices of the Color-Picture Version of Boston Naming Test Have Better Discriminatory Power: Reliability and Validity in a Chinese Sample with Diverse Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:393-404. [PMID: 37248898 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is the most widely used measure to assess anomia. However, it has been criticized for failing to differentiate the underlying cognitive process of anomia. OBJECTIVE We validated the color-picture version of BNT (CP-BNT) in a sample with diverse neurodegenerative dementia diseases (NDDs). We also verified the differential ability of the composite indices of CP-BNT across NDDs groups. METHODS The present study included Alzheimer's disease (n = 132), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA, n = 53), non-svPPA (n = 33), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA, n = 35), and normal controls (n = 110). We evaluated psychometric properties of CP-BNT for the spontaneous naming (SN), the percentage of correct responses on semantic cuing and word recognition cuing (% SC, % WR). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to examine the discriminatory power of SN alone and the composite indices (SN, % SC, and % WR). RESULTS The CP-BNT had sufficient internal consistency, good convergent, divergent validity, and criterion validity. Different indices of CP-BNT demonstrated distinct cognitive underpinnings. Category fluency was the strongest predictor of SN (β= 0.46, p < 0.001). Auditory comprehension tests highly associated with % WR (Sentence comprehension: β= 0.22, p = 0.001; Word comprehension: β= 0.20, p = 0.001), whereas a lower visuospatial score predicted % SC (β= -0.2, p = 0.001). Composite indices had better predictability than the SN alone when differentiating between NDDs, especially for PCA versus non-svPPA (area under the curve increased from 63.9% to 81.2%). CONCLUSION The CP-BNT is a highly linguistically relevant test with sufficient reliability and validity. Composite indices could provide more differential information beyond SN and should be used in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yue-Yi Yu
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Nan Hu
- Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fang-Ling Sun
- Department of Laboratory Animal Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Li-Mei Fan
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Shuang Ruan
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fen Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, The McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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