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Macoir J, Laforce R, Lavoie M. The impact of phonological short-term memory impairment on verbal repetition in the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024; 31:723-741. [PMID: 37615549 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2023.2249198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) is characterized mainly by anomia, production of phonological errors, and impairment in repetition of sentences. The functional origin of these language impairments is mainly attributed to the breakdown of phonological short-term memory. The present study examined the effects of phonological short-term memory impairment on language processing in lvPPA. In two studies, 11 participants with lvPPA and 11 healthy control participants were presented with repetition tasks in which the type and length of stimuli and the mode of administration were manipulated. Study 1 aimed to examine the influence of length and lexicality (words vs. pseudowords) on immediate and delayed repetition, whereas Study 2 aimed to examine the influence of length, syntactic complexity (nominalized vs. pronominalized sentences), and serial position on immediate sentence repetition. Study 1 showed that participants' performance with lvPPA was impaired only on immediate repetition of five-syllable pseudowords and on delayed repetition of words and pseudowords. Study 2 showed that participants' performance with lvPPA was impaired in the repetition of nominalized sentences where a recency effect was observed. Repetition of pronominalized sentences was also impaired in the lvPPA group. This study provides additional support for arguments regarding phonological short-term memory as a cause of language impairment in lvPPA. Clinically, the results of the study suggest that instruments for assessing repetition ability in lvPPA should include not only lists of short or long nominalized sentences, but also delayed repetition of words and pseudowords and pronominalized sentences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Macoir
- Faculté de médecine, École des Sciences de la Réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Robert Laforce
- Chaire de recherche sur les aphasies primaires progressives, Fondation de la famille Lemaire, Québec, QC, Canada
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Clinique Interdisciplinaire de la Mémoire, Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Monica Lavoie
- Chaire de recherche sur les aphasies primaires progressives, Fondation de la famille Lemaire, Québec, QC, Canada
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2
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Svaldi C, Paquier P, Keulen S, van Elp H, Catsman-Berrevoets C, Kingma A, Jonkers R, Kohnen S, de Aguiar V. Characterising the Long-Term Language Impairments of Children Following Cerebellar Tumour Surgery by Extracting Psycholinguistic Properties from Spontaneous Language. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:523-544. [PMID: 37184608 PMCID: PMC10951034 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01563-z] [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] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Following cerebellar tumour surgery, children may suffer impairments of spontaneous language. Yet, the language processing deficits underlying these impairments are poorly understood. This study is the first to try to identify these deficits for four levels of language processing in cerebellar tumour survivors. The spontaneous language of twelve patients who underwent cerebellar tumour surgery (age range 3-24 years) was compared against his or her controls using individual case statistics. A distinction was made between patients who experienced postoperative cerebellar mutism syndrome (pCMS) and those who did not. Time since surgery ranged between 11 months and 12;3 years. In order to identify the impaired language processing levels at each processing level (i.e., lexical, semantic, phonological and/or morphosyntactic) nouns and verbs produced in the spontaneous language samples were rated for psycholinguistic variables (e.g., concreteness). Standard spontaneous language measures (e.g., type-token ratio) were calculated as well. First, inter-individual heterogeneity was observed in the spontaneous language outcomes in both groups. Nine out of twelve patients showed language processing deficits three of whom were diagnosed with pCMS. Results implied impairments across all levels of language processing. In the pCMS-group, the impairments observed were predominantly morphosyntactic and semantic, but the variability in nature of the spontaneous language impairments was larger in the non-pCMS-group. Patients treated with cerebellar tumour surgery may show long-term spontaneous language impairments irrespective of a previous pCMS diagnosis. Individualised and comprehensive postoperative language assessments seem necessary, given the inter-individual heterogeneity in the language outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheyenne Svaldi
- Center for Language and Cognition, University of Groningen, PO box 716, 9700 AS, Groningen, the Netherlands.
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics (CLIEN), Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Language, Brain and Cognition, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, University Avenue, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK; Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany; University of Groningen, , Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Philippe Paquier
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics (CLIEN), Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Language, Brain and Cognition, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences (TNW), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Keulen
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics (CLIEN), Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Language, Brain and Cognition, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Henrieke van Elp
- Center for Language and Cognition, University of Groningen, PO box 716, 9700 AS, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Coriene Catsman-Berrevoets
- Department of Paediatric Neurology Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital Rotterdam, Dr Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annet Kingma
- Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Roel Jonkers
- Center for Language and Cognition, University of Groningen, PO box 716, 9700 AS, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia Kohnen
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, University Avenue, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Vânia de Aguiar
- Center for Language and Cognition, University of Groningen, PO box 716, 9700 AS, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Belder CRS, Marshall CR, Jiang J, Mazzeo S, Chokesuwattanaskul A, Rohrer JD, Volkmer A, Hardy CJD, Warren JD. Primary progressive aphasia: six questions in search of an answer. J Neurol 2024; 271:1028-1046. [PMID: 37906327 PMCID: PMC10827918 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12030-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review recent progress in the diagnosis and management of primary progressive aphasia-the language-led dementias. We pose six key unanswered questions that challenge current assumptions and highlight the unresolved difficulties that surround these diseases. How many syndromes of primary progressive aphasia are there-and is syndromic diagnosis even useful? Are these truly 'language-led' dementias? How can we diagnose (and track) primary progressive aphasia better? Can brain pathology be predicted in these diseases? What is their core pathophysiology? In addition, how can primary progressive aphasia best be treated? We propose that pathophysiological mechanisms linking proteinopathies to phenotypes may help resolve the clinical complexity of primary progressive aphasia, and may suggest novel diagnostic tools and markers and guide the deployment of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R S Belder
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Charles R Marshall
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Jiang
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Anthipa Chokesuwattanaskul
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Chris J D Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Hardy CJD, Taylor‐Rubin C, Taylor B, Harding E, Gonzalez AS, Jiang J, Thompson L, Kingma R, Chokesuwattanaskul A, Walker F, Barker S, Brotherhood E, Waddington C, Wood O, Zimmermann N, Kupeli N, Yong KXX, Camic PM, Stott J, Marshall CR, Oxtoby NP, Rohrer JD, Volkmer A, Crutch SJ, Warren JD. Symptom-led staging for semantic and non-fluent/agrammatic variants of primary progressive aphasia. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:195-210. [PMID: 37548125 PMCID: PMC10917001 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Here we set out to create a symptom-led staging system for the canonical semantic and non-fluent/agrammatic variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which present unique diagnostic and management challenges not well captured by functional scales developed for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. METHODS An international PPA caregiver cohort was surveyed on symptom development under six provisional clinical stages and feedback was analyzed using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. RESULTS Both PPA syndromes were characterized by initial communication dysfunction and non-verbal behavioral changes, with increasing syndromic convergence and functional dependency at later stages. Milestone symptoms were distilled to create a prototypical progression and severity scale of functional impairment: the PPA Progression Planning Aid ("PPA-Squared"). DISCUSSION This work introduces a symptom-led staging scheme and functional scale for semantic and non-fluent/agrammatic variants of PPA. Our findings have implications for diagnostic and care pathway guidelines, trial design, and personalized prognosis and treatment for PPA. HIGHLIGHTS We introduce new symptom-led perspectives on primary progressive aphasia (PPA). The focus is on non-fluent/agrammatic (nfvPPA) and semantic (svPPA) variants. Foregrounding of early and non-verbal features of PPA and clinical trajectories is featured. We introduce a symptom-led staging scheme for PPA. We propose a prototype for a functional impairment scale, the PPA Progression Planning Aid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. D. Hardy
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Cathleen Taylor‐Rubin
- Uniting War Memorial HospitalSydneyAustralia
- Faculty of MedicineHealth and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
| | - Beatrice Taylor
- Centre for Medical Image ComputingDepartment of Computer ScienceUCLLondonUK
| | - Emma Harding
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | | | - Jessica Jiang
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | | | | | - Anthipa Chokesuwattanaskul
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
- Division of NeurologyDepartment of Internal MedicineKing Chulalongkorn Memorial HospitalBangkokThailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
| | | | - Suzie Barker
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Emilie Brotherhood
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Claire Waddington
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Olivia Wood
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Nikki Zimmermann
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Nuriye Kupeli
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research DepartmentDivision of PsychiatryUCLLondonUK
| | - Keir X. X. Yong
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Paul M. Camic
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Joshua Stott
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
- ADAPT LabResearch Department of ClinicalEducational and Health PsychologyUCLLondonUK
| | | | - Neil P. Oxtoby
- Centre for Medical Image ComputingDepartment of Computer ScienceUCLLondonUK
| | - Jonathan D. Rohrer
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
- Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS)UCLLondonUK
| | | | - Jason D. Warren
- Dementia Research CentreUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUCLLondonUK
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Ramanan S, Halai AD, Garcia-Penton L, Perry AG, Patel N, Peterson KA, Ingram RU, Storey I, Cappa SF, Catricala E, Patterson K, Rowe JB, Garrard P, Ralph MAL. The neural substrates of transdiagnostic cognitive-linguistic heterogeneity in primary progressive aphasia. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:219. [PMID: 38102724 PMCID: PMC10724982 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01350-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) are diagnosed based on characteristic patterns of language deficits, supported by corresponding neural changes on brain imaging. However, there is (i) considerable phenotypic variability within and between each diagnostic category with partially overlapping profiles of language performance between variants and (ii) accompanying non-linguistic cognitive impairments that may be independent of aphasia magnitude and disease severity. The neurobiological basis of this cognitive-linguistic heterogeneity remains unclear. Understanding the relationship between these variables would improve PPA clinical/research characterisation and strengthen clinical trial and symptomatic treatment design. We address these knowledge gaps using a data-driven transdiagnostic approach to chart cognitive-linguistic differences and their associations with grey/white matter degeneration across multiple PPA variants. METHODS Forty-seven patients (13 semantic, 15 non-fluent, and 19 logopenic variant PPA) underwent assessment of general cognition, errors on language performance, and structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to index whole-brain grey and white matter changes. Behavioural data were entered into varimax-rotated principal component analyses to derive orthogonal dimensions explaining the majority of cognitive variance. To uncover neural correlates of cognitive heterogeneity, derived components were used as covariates in neuroimaging analyses of grey matter (voxel-based morphometry) and white matter (network-based statistics of structural connectomes). RESULTS Four behavioural components emerged: general cognition, semantic memory, working memory, and motor speech/phonology. Performance patterns on the latter three principal components were in keeping with each variant's characteristic profile, but with a spectrum rather than categorical distribution across the cohort. General cognitive changes were most marked in logopenic variant PPA. Regardless of clinical diagnosis, general cognitive impairment was associated with inferior/posterior parietal grey/white matter involvement, semantic memory deficits with bilateral anterior temporal grey/white matter changes, working memory impairment with temporoparietal and frontostriatal grey/white matter involvement, and motor speech/phonology deficits with inferior/middle frontal grey matter alterations. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive-linguistic heterogeneity in PPA closely relates to individual-level variations on multiple behavioural dimensions and grey/white matter degeneration of regions within and beyond the language network. We further show that employment of transdiagnostic approaches may help to understand clinical symptom boundaries and reveal clinical and neural profiles that are shared across categorically defined variants of PPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Ramanan
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
| | - Ajay D Halai
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Lorna Garcia-Penton
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Alistair G Perry
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nikil Patel
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Katie A Peterson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ruth U Ingram
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ian Storey
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Stefano F Cappa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience Center (ICoN), University Institute of Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Eleonora Catricala
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience Center (ICoN), University Institute of Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Karalyn Patterson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Garrard
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Matthew A Lambon Ralph
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
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Hardy CJD, Taylor-Rubin C, Taylor B, Harding E, Gonzalez AS, Jiang J, Thompson L, Kingma R, Chokesuwattanaskul A, Walker F, Barker S, Brotherhood E, Waddington C, Wood O, Zimmermann N, Kupeli N, Yong KXX, Camic PM, Stott J, Marshall CR, Oxtoby NP, Rohrer JD, Volkmer A, Crutch SJ, Warren JD. Symptom-led staging for primary progressive aphasia. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.13.23286972. [PMID: 36993460 PMCID: PMC10055437 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.13.23286972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The primary progressive aphasias (PPA) present complex and diverse challenges of diagnosis, management and prognosis. A clinically-informed, syndromic staging system for PPA would take a substantial step toward meeting these challenges. This study addressed this need using detailed, multi-domain mixed-methods symptom surveys of people with lived experience in a large international PPA cohort. We administered structured online surveys to caregivers of patients with a canonical PPA syndromic variant (nonfluent/agrammatic (nvPPA), semantic (svPPA) or logopenic (lvPPA)). In an 'exploratory' survey, a putative list and ordering of verbal communication and nonverbal functioning (nonverbal thinking, conduct and wellbeing, physical) symptoms was administered to 118 caregiver members of the UK national PPA Support Group. Based on feedback, we expanded the symptom list and created six provisional clinical stages for each PPA subtype. In a 'consolidation' survey, these stages were presented to 110 caregiver members of UK and Australian PPA Support Groups, and refined based on quantitative and qualitative feedback. Symptoms were retained if rated as 'present' by a majority (at least 50%) of respondents representing that PPA syndrome, and assigned to a consolidated stage based on majority consensus; the confidence of assignment was estimated for each symptom as the proportion of respondents in agreement with the final staging for that symptom. Qualitative responses were analysed using framework analysis. For each PPA syndrome, six stages ranging from 1 ('Very mild') to 6 ('Profound') were identified; earliest stages were distinguished by syndromic hallmark symptoms of communication dysfunction, with increasing trans-syndromic convergence and dependency for basic activities of daily living at later stages. Spelling errors, hearing changes and nonverbal behavioural features were reported at early stages in all syndromes. As the illness evolved, swallowing and mobility problems were reported earlier in nfvPPA than other syndromes, while difficulty recognising familiar people and household items characterised svPPA and visuospatial symptoms were more prominent in lvPPA. Overall confidence of symptom staging was higher for svPPA than other syndromes. Across syndromes, functional milestones were identified as key deficits that predict the sequence of major daily life impacts and associated management needs. Qualitatively, we identified five major themes encompassing 15 subthemes capturing respondents' experiences of PPA and suggestions for staging implementation. This work introduces a prototypical, symptom-led staging scheme for canonical PPA syndromes: the PPA Progression Planning Aid (PPA 2 ). Our findings have implications for diagnostic and care pathway guidelines, trial design and personalised prognosis and treatment for people living with these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris JD Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Cathleen Taylor-Rubin
- Uniting War Memorial Hospital, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Beatrice Taylor
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, UCL, London, UK
| | - Emma Harding
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Aida Suarez Gonzalez
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Jessica Jiang
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | | | | | - Anthipa Chokesuwattanaskul
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Suzie Barker
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Emilie Brotherhood
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Claire Waddington
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Olivia Wood
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nikki Zimmermann
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nuriye Kupeli
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, UCL, London, UK
| | - Keir XX Yong
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Paul M Camic
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Josh Stott
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- ADAPTlab, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, London, UK
| | | | - Neil P. Oxtoby
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, UCL, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), UCL, London, UK
| | - Sebastian J Crutch
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
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7
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Humphreys GF, Tibon R. Dual-axes of functional organisation across lateral parietal cortex: the angular gyrus forms part of a multi-modal buffering system. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:341-352. [PMID: 35670844 PMCID: PMC9813060 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02510-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Decades of neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence have implicated the lateral parietal cortex (LPC) in a myriad of cognitive domains, generating numerous influential theoretical models. However, these theories fail to explain why distinct cognitive activities appear to implicate common neural regions. Here we discuss a unifying model in which the angular gyrus forms part of a wider LPC system with a core underlying neurocomputational function; the multi-sensory buffering of spatio-temporally extended representations. We review the principles derived from computational modelling with neuroimaging task data and functional and structural connectivity measures that underpin the unified neurocomputational framework. We propose that although a variety of cognitive activities might draw on shared underlying machinery, variations in task preference across angular gyrus, and wider LPC, arise from graded changes in the underlying structural connectivity of the region to different input/output information sources. More specifically, we propose two primary axes of organisation: a dorsal-ventral axis and an anterior-posterior axis, with variations in task preference arising from underlying connectivity to different core cognitive networks (e.g. the executive, language, visual, or episodic memory networks).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina F Humphreys
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
| | - Roni Tibon
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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Characterization of the logopenic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 82:101760. [PMID: 36244629 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The linguistic and anatomical variability of the logopenic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (lv-PPA) as defined by current diagnostic criteria has been the topic of an intense debate. The present review and meta-analysis aims at characterizing the profile of lv-PPA, by a comprehensive analysis of the available literature on the neuropsychological, neuroimaging, electrophysiological, pathological, and genetic features of lv-PPA. We conducted a systematic bibliographic search, leading to the inclusion of 207 papers. Of them, 12 were used for the Anatomical Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis on grey matter revealed by magnetic resonance imaging data. The results suggest that the current guidelines outline a relatively consistent syndrome, characterized by a core set of linguistic and, to a lesser extent, non-linguistic deficits, mirroring the involvement of left temporal and parietal regions typically affected by Alzheimer Disease pathology. Variations of the lv-PPA profile are discussed in terms of heterogeneity of the neuropsychological instruments and the diagnostic criteria adopted.
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Comprehensive qualitative characterization of linguistic performance profiles in primary progressive aphasia: a multivariate study with FDG-PET. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 120:137-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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10
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Irish M. Autobiographical memory in dementia syndromes—An integrative review. WIRES COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 14:e1630. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology and Brain & Mind Centre The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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11
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Ramanan S, Irish M, Patterson K, Rowe JB, Gorno-Tempini ML, Lambon Ralph MA. Understanding the multidimensional cognitive deficits of logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia. Brain 2022; 145:2955-2966. [PMID: 35857482 PMCID: PMC9473356 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia is characterized by early deficits in language production and phonological short-term memory, attributed to left-lateralized temporoparietal, inferior parietal and posterior temporal neurodegeneration. Despite patients primarily complaining of language difficulties, emerging evidence points to performance deficits in non-linguistic domains. Temporoparietal cortex, and functional brain networks anchored to this region, are implicated as putative neural substrates of non-linguistic cognitive deficits in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, suggesting that degeneration of a shared set of brain regions may result in co-occurring linguistic and non-linguistic dysfunction early in the disease course. Here, we provide a Review aimed at broadening the understanding of logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia beyond the lens of an exclusive language disorder. By considering behavioural and neuroimaging research on non-linguistic dysfunction in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, we propose that a significant portion of multidimensional cognitive features can be explained by degeneration of temporal/inferior parietal cortices and connected regions. Drawing on insights from normative cognitive neuroscience, we propose that these regions underpin a combination of domain-general and domain-selective cognitive processes, whose disruption results in multifaceted cognitive deficits including aphasia. This account explains the common emergence of linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive difficulties in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, and predicts phenotypic diversification associated with progression of pathology in posterior neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Ramanan
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Muireann Irish
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre and School of Psychology, Sydney, Australia
| | - Karalyn Patterson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge University Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Matthew A Lambon Ralph
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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12
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Distinct brain iron profiles associated with logopenic progressive aphasia and posterior cortical atrophy. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103161. [PMID: 36029670 PMCID: PMC9428862 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can detect iron distribution in the brain by estimating local tissue magnetic susceptibility properties at every voxel. Iron deposition patterns are well studied in typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD), but little is known about these patterns in atypical clinical presentations of AD such as logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). Seventeen PCA patients and eight LPA patients were recruited by the Neurodegenerative Research Group at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and underwent MRI that included a five-echo gradient echo sequence for calculation of QSM. Mean QSM signal was extracted from gray and white matter for regions-of-interest across the brain using the Mayo Clinic Adult Lifespan Template. Bayesian hierarchical models were fit per-region and per-hemisphere to compare PCA, LPA, 63 healthy controls, and 20 tAD patients. Strong evidence (posterior probability > 0.99) was observed for greater susceptibility in the middle occipital gyrus and amygdala in both LPA and PCA, and in the right inferior parietal, inferior temporal, and angular gyri in PCA and the caudate and substantia nigra in LPA compared to controls. Moderate evidence for greater susceptibility (posterior probability > 0.90) was also observed in the inferior occipital gyrus, precuneus, putamen and entorhinal cortex in both LPA and PCA, along with superior frontal gyrus in PCA and inferior temporal gyri, insula and basal ganglia in LPA, when compared to controls. Between phenotypic comparisons, LPA had greater susceptibility in the caudate, hippocampus, and posterior cingulate compared to PCA, while PCA showed greater susceptibility in the right superior frontal and middle temporal gyri compared to LPA. Both LPA and PCA showed moderate and strong evidence for greater susceptibility than tAD, particularly in medial and lateral parietal regions, while tAD showed greater susceptibility in the hippocampus and basal ganglia. This study proposes the possibility of unique iron profiles existing between LPA and PCA within cortical and subcortical structures. These changes match well with the disease-related changes of the clinical phenotypes, suggesting that QSM could be an informative candidate marker to study iron deposition in these patients.
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13
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Foxe D, Hu A, Cheung SC, Ahmed RM, Cordato NJ, Devenney E, Hwang YT, Halliday GM, Mueller N, Leyton CE, Hodges JR, Burrell JR, Irish M, Piguet O. Utility of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III online calculator to differentiate the primary progressive aphasia variants. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac161. [PMID: 35912134 PMCID: PMC9336588 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III is a brief cognitive screening tool that is widely used for the detection and monitoring of dementia. Recent findings suggest that the three variants of primary progressive aphasia can be distinguished based on their distinct profiles on the five subdomain scores of this test. Here, we investigated the utility of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III to differentiate the primary progressive aphasia variants based on their item-by-item performance profiles on this test. From these results, we created an interactive primary progressive aphasia Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III calculator which predicts the variant based on a patient’s unique item-by-item profile. Twenty-eight logopenic variant, 25 non-fluent variant and 37 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia patients and 104 healthy controls completed the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III at first clinical presentation. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to establish performance profiles among groups, and R Shiny from RStudio was used to create the interactive Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III diagnostic calculator. To verify its accuracy, probability values of the regression model were derived based on a 5-fold cross-validation of cases. The calculator’s accuracy was then verified in an independent sample of 17 logopenic, 19 non-fluent and 13 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia patients and 68 Alzheimer’s disease patients who had completed the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (or an older version of this test: Revised) and had in vivo amyloid-PET imaging and/or brain autopsy pathological confirmation. Cross-validation of cases in the calculator model revealed different rates of sensitivity in classifying variants: semantic = 100%, non-fluent = 80.6% and logopenic = 79.9%; healthy controls were distinguished from primary progressive aphasia patients with 100% sensitivity. Verification of in vivo amyloid and/or autopsy-confirmed patients showed that the calculator correctly classified 10/13 (77%) semantic variant, 3/19 (16%) non-fluent variant and 4/17 (24%) logopenic variant patients. Importantly, for patients who were not classified, diagnostic probability values mostly pointed toward the correct clinical diagnosis. Furthermore, misclassified diagnoses of the primary progressive aphasia cohort were rare (1/49; 2%). Although 22 of the 68 Alzheimer’s disease patients (32%) were misclassified with primary progressive aphasia, 19/22 were misclassified with the logopenic variant (i.e. falling within the same neuropathological entity). The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III primary progressive aphasia diagnostic calculator demonstrates sound accuracy in differentiating the variants based on an item-by-item Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III profile. This calculator represents a new frontier in using data-driven approaches to differentiate the primary progressive aphasia variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Foxe
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney , 94 Mallett St, Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - A Hu
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - S C Cheung
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney , 94 Mallett St, Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - R M Ahmed
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - N J Cordato
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- St George Clinical School, University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW 2217 , Australia
- The Department of Aged Care, St George Hospital , Sydney, NSW 2217 , Australia
- Calvary Health Care Kogarah, Calvary Community Health , Sydney, NSW 2217 , Australia
| | - E Devenney
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - Y T Hwang
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - G M Halliday
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - N Mueller
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - C E Leyton
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney , 94 Mallett St, Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - J R Hodges
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - J R Burrell
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
- Concord Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2139 , Australia
| | - M Irish
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney , 94 Mallett St, Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - O Piguet
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney , 94 Mallett St, Sydney, NSW 2006 , Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW 2050 , Australia
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14
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Lukic S, Licata AE, Weis E, Bogley R, Ratnasiri B, Welch AE, Hinkley LBN, Miller Z, Garcia AM, Houde JF, Nagarajan SS, Gorno-Tempini ML, Borghesani V. Auditory Verb Generation Performance Patterns Dissociate Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Front Psychol 2022; 13:887591. [PMID: 35814055 PMCID: PMC9267767 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a clinical syndrome in which patients progressively lose speech and language abilities. Three variants are recognized: logopenic (lvPPA), associated with phonology and/or short-term verbal memory deficits accompanied by left temporo-parietal atrophy; semantic (svPPA), associated with semantic deficits and anterior temporal lobe (ATL) atrophy; non-fluent (nfvPPA) associated with grammar and/or speech-motor deficits and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) atrophy. Here, we set out to investigate whether the three variants of PPA can be dissociated based on error patterns in a single language task. We recruited 21 lvPPA, 28 svPPA, and 24 nfvPPA patients, together with 31 healthy controls, and analyzed their performance on an auditory noun-to-verb generation task, which requires auditory analysis of the input, access to and selection of relevant lexical and semantic knowledge, as well as preparation and execution of speech. Task accuracy differed across the three variants and controls, with lvPPA and nfvPPA having the lowest and highest accuracy, respectively. Critically, machine learning analysis of the different error types yielded above-chance classification of patients into their corresponding group. An analysis of the error types revealed clear variant-specific effects: lvPPA patients produced the highest percentage of "not-a-verb" responses and the highest number of semantically related nouns (production of baseball instead of throw to noun ball); in contrast, svPPA patients produced the highest percentage of "unrelated verb" responses and the highest number of light verbs (production of take instead of throw to noun ball). Taken together, our findings indicate that error patterns in an auditory verb generation task are associated with the breakdown of different neurocognitive mechanisms across PPA variants. Specifically, they corroborate the link between temporo-parietal regions with lexical processing, as well as ATL with semantic processes. These findings illustrate how the analysis of pattern of responses can help PPA phenotyping and heighten diagnostic sensitivity, while providing insights on the neural correlates of different components of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sladjana Lukic
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Abigail E. Licata
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Weis
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Rian Bogley
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Buddhika Ratnasiri
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ariane E. Welch
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Leighton B. N. Hinkley
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Z. Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adolfo M. Garcia
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - John F. Houde
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Srikantan S. Nagarajan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Valentina Borghesani
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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15
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Cope TE, Hughes LE, Phillips HN, Adams NE, Jafarian A, Nesbitt D, Assem M, Woolgar A, Duncan J, Rowe JB. Causal Evidence for the Multiple Demand Network in Change Detection: Auditory Mismatch Magnetoencephalography across Focal Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3197-3215. [PMID: 35260433 PMCID: PMC8994545 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1622-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The multiple demand (MD) system is a network of fronto-parietal brain regions active during the organization and control of diverse cognitive operations. It has been argued that this activation may be a nonspecific signal of task difficulty. However, here we provide convergent evidence for a causal role for the MD network in the "simple task" of automatic auditory change detection, through the impairment of top-down control mechanisms. We employ independent structure-function mapping, dynamic causal modeling (DCM), and frequency-resolved functional connectivity analyses of MRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG) from 75 mixed-sex human patients across four neurodegenerative syndromes [behavioral variant fronto-temporal dementia (bvFTD), nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), and Alzheimer's disease mild cognitive impairment with positive amyloid imaging (ADMCI)] and 48 age-matched controls. We show that atrophy of any MD node is sufficient to impair auditory neurophysiological response to change in frequency, location, intensity, continuity, or duration. There was no similar association with atrophy of the cingulo-opercular, salience or language networks, or with global atrophy. MD regions displayed increased functional but decreased effective connectivity as a function of neurodegeneration, suggesting partially effective compensation. Overall, we show that damage to any of the nodes of the MD network is sufficient to impair top-down control of sensation, providing a common mechanism for impaired change detection across dementia syndromes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Previous evidence for fronto-parietal networks controlling perception is largely associative and may be confounded by task difficulty. Here, we use a preattentive measure of automatic auditory change detection [mismatch negativity (MMN) magnetoencephalography (MEG)] to show that neurodegeneration in any frontal or parietal multiple demand (MD) node impairs primary auditory cortex (A1) neurophysiological response to change through top-down mechanisms. This explains why the impaired ability to respond to change is a core feature across dementias, and other conditions driven by brain network dysfunction, such as schizophrenia. It validates theoretical frameworks in which neurodegenerating networks upregulate connectivity as partially effective compensation. The significance extends beyond network science and dementia, in its construct validation of dynamic causal modeling (DCM), and human confirmation of frequency-resolved analyses of animal neurodegeneration models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Cope
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Laura E Hughes
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - Holly N Phillips
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie E Adams
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Amirhossein Jafarian
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - David Nesbitt
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - Moataz Assem
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Woolgar
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
| | - John Duncan
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
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16
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Roelofs A. A neurocognitive computational account of word production, comprehension, and repetition in primary progressive aphasia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 227:105094. [PMID: 35202892 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Computational models have elucidated word production, comprehension, and repetition in poststroke aphasia syndromes, but simulations are lacking for primary progressive aphasia (PPA) resulting from neurodegenerative disease. Here, the WEAVER++/ARC model, which has previously been applied to poststroke aphasia, is extended to the three major PPA variants: nonfluent/agrammatic, semantic, and logopenic. Following a seminal suggestion by Pick (1892/1977) and modern empirical insights, the model assumes that PPA arises from a progressive loss of activation capacity in portions of the language network with neurocognitive epicenters specific to each PPA variant. Computer simulations revealed that the model succeeds reasonably well in capturing the patterns of impaired and spared naming, comprehension, and repetition performance, at both group and individual patient levels. Moreover, it captures the worsening of performance with progression of the disease. The model explains about 90% of the variance, lending computational support to Pick's suggestion and modern insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardi Roelofs
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognition, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6525 GD Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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17
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Chen Y, Landin-Romero R, Kumfor F, Irish M, Dobson-Stone C, Kwok JB, Halliday GM, Hodges JR, Piguet O. Cerebellar integrity and contributions to cognition in C9orf72-mediated frontotemporal dementia. Cortex 2022; 149:73-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Social Communication Dysfunction in Primary Progressive Aphasia. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121600. [PMID: 34942902 PMCID: PMC8699060 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that, in parallel with well-defined changes in language, primary progressive aphasia (PPA) syndromes display co-occurring social cognitive impairments. Here, we explored multidimensional profiles of carer-rated social communication using the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) in 11 semantic dementia (SD), 12 logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) and 9 progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) cases and contrasted their performance with 19 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases, 26 behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) cases and 31 healthy older controls. Relative to the controls, the majority of patient groups displayed significant overall social communication difficulties, with common and unique profiles of impairment evident on the LCQ subscales. Correlation analyses revealed a differential impact of social communication disturbances on functional outcomes in patient and carer well-being, most pronounced for SD and bvFTD. Finally, voxel-based morphometry analyses based on a structural brain MRI pointed to the degradation of a distributed brain network in mediating social communication dysfunction in dementia. Our findings suggest that social communication difficulties are an important feature of PPA, with significant implications for patient function and carer well-being. The origins of these changes are likely to be multifactorial, reflecting the breakdown of fronto-thalamic brain circuits specialised in the integration of complex information.
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19
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Ramanan S, Foxe D, El-Omar H, Ahmed RM, Hodges JR, Piguet O, Irish M. Evidence for a pervasive autobiographical memory impairment in Logopenic Progressive Aphasia. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 108:168-178. [PMID: 34653892 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although characterized primarily as a language disorder, mounting evidence indicates episodic amnesia in Logopenic Progressive Aphasia (LPA). Whether such memory disturbances extend to information encoded pre-disease onset remains unclear. To address this question, we examined autobiographical memory in 10 LPA patients, contrasted with 18 typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease and 16 healthy Control participants. A validated assessment, the Autobiographical Interview, was employed to explore autobiographical memory performance across the lifespan under free and probed recall conditions. Relative to Controls, LPA patients showed global impairments across all time periods for free recall, scoring at the same level as disease-matched cases of Alzheimer's disease. Importantly, these retrieval deficits persisted in LPA, even when structured probing was provided, and could not be explained by overall level of language disruption or amount of information generated during autobiographical narration. Autobiographical memory impairments in LPA related to gray matter intensity decrease in predominantly posterior parietal brain regions implicated in memory retrieval. Together, our results suggest that episodic memory disturbances may be an under-appreciated clinical feature of LPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Ramanan
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - David Foxe
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hashim El-Omar
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebekah M Ahmed
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Memory and Cognition Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Muireann Irish
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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20
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Verbal Short-Term Memory Disturbance in the Primary Progressive Aphasias: Challenges and Distinctions in a Clinical Setting. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11081060. [PMID: 34439679 PMCID: PMC8391512 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired verbal ‘phonological’ short-term memory is considered a cardinal feature of the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lv-PPA) and is assumed to underpin most of the language deficits in this syndrome. Clinically, examination of verbal short-term memory in individuals presenting with PPA is common practice and serves two objectives: (i) to help understand the possible mechanisms underlying the patient’s language profile and (ii) to help differentiate lv-PPA from other PPA variants or from other dementia syndromes. Distinction between lv-PPA and the non-fluent variant of PPA (nfv-PPA), however, can be especially challenging due to overlapping language profiles and comparable psychometric performances on verbal short-term memory tests. Here, we present case vignettes of the three PPA variants (lv-PPA, nfv-PPA, and the semantic variant (sv-PPA)) and typical Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These vignettes provide a detailed description of the short-term and working memory profiles typically found in these patients and highlight how speech output and language comprehension deficits across the PPA variants differentially interfere with verbal memory performance. We demonstrate that a combination of verbal short-term and working memory measures provides crucial information regarding the cognitive mechanisms underlying language disturbances in PPA. In addition, we propose that analogous visuospatial span tasks are essential for the assessment of PPA as they measure memory capacity without language contamination.
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Foxe D, Irish M, D'Mello M, Barhon L, Burrell JR, Kessels RPC, Piguet O. The Box Task: A novel tool to differentiate the primary progressive aphasias. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28:3945-3954. [PMID: 34310820 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Differentiating the primary progressive aphasia (PPA) variants in clinical settings remains complex and challenging, especially for the logopenic (lv-PPA) and non-fluent variants (nfv-PPA). Recent studies suggest that visuospatial memory is more compromised in lv-PPA than in nfv-PPA and is relatively spared in the semantic variant (sv-PPA). Accordingly, assessment of visuospatial memory performance may assist in the differential diagnosis of PPA variants. Here, we investigated the utility of a novel computerised visuospatial working memory test-the Box Task-to differentiate the three PPA variants and typical Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS Eighteen lv-PPA, 14 nfv-PPA, 23 sv-PPA, 33 AD patients, and 32 healthy controls matched for age and education were recruited. All participants completed the computerised Box Task and WMS-III Spatial Span as measures of visuospatial working memory. RESULTS The lv-PPA group made significantly more Box Task between-search errors than nfv-PPA, sv-PPA and control groups. The AD group, however, displayed the greatest impairments on this measure relative to the PPA variants. Logistic regression analyses in lv-PPA and nfv-PPA demonstrated that the combination of Box Task between-search error variables (i.e., 4- and 6-box levels) could correctly classify 72% of lv-PPA patients and nearly 79% of nfv-PPA patients. Area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (AUC) analyses revealed the Box Task was more sensitive than Spatial Span at differentiating lv-PPA from nfv-PPA. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a simple, computerised measure of visuospatial working memory-the Box Task-shows potential diagnostic utility in differentiating lv-PPA from the other PPA variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Foxe
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mirelle D'Mello
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucienne Barhon
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James R Burrell
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Concord Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands.,Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Olivier Piguet
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Longitudinal cognitive and functional changes in primary progressive aphasia. J Neurol 2021; 268:1951-1961. [PMID: 33417000 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-10382-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) are predominantly diagnosed on the basis of specific profiles of language impairments. Deficits in other cognitive domains and their evolution over time are less well documented. This study examined the cognitive profiles of the PPA variants over time and determined the contribution of cognition on functional capacity. METHODS Longitudinal performance on the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) total and cognitive subdomains were investigated in 147 PPA individuals (41 logopenic [lv-PPA], 44 non-fluent [nfv-PPA], and 62 semantic variants [sv-PPA]). The relative contribution of ACE-III subdomain scores to overall functional capacity over time was identified using mixed and hierarchical regression modelling. RESULTS The annual rate of global ACE-III decline was twice that in lv-PPA than in nfv-PPA and sv-PPA, despite lv-PPA performing intermediate to the other variants at baseline assessment. Notably, attention and visuospatial subdomains declined faster in lv-PPA than in nfv-PPA and sv-PPA; and memory impairment was more severe in lv-PPA than in nfv-PPA at all time points. Functional decline was comparable across PPA variants; however, the contribution of cognition on functional capacity varied across variants and over time. CONCLUSION The cognitive profiles of the PPA variants are distinct at baseline and over time. Crucially, cognitive decline in lv-PPA was more widespread and pervasive than in nfv-PPA and sv-PPA. Our findings also demonstrate the complex interplay between cognition and functional capacity. This study underscores the importance of routinely assessing cognition and functional capacity in PPA to improve diagnostic accuracy and provide targeted support services.
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Europa E, Iaccarino L, Perry DC, Weis E, Welch AE, Rabinovici GD, Miller BL, Gorno-Tempini ML, Henry ML. Diagnostic Assessment in Primary Progressive Aphasia: An Illustrative Case Example. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 29:1833-1849. [PMID: 32910678 PMCID: PMC8740567 DOI: 10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Diagnosis and classification of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) requires confirmation of specific speech and language symptoms, highlighting the important role of speech-language pathologists in the evaluation process. The purpose of this case report is to inform speech-language pathologists regarding current practices for diagnostic assessment in PPA, describing standard approaches as well as complementary, state-of-the-art procedures that may improve diagnostic precision. Method We describe the diagnostic evaluation of a 49-year-old woman with complaints of progressive word-finding difficulty. She completed standard neurological, neuropsychological, and speech-language evaluations, as well as magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography imaging of her brain. In addition, a history of developmental speech, language, and learning abilities was obtained, as well as genetic testing and assessment of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. We discuss the evaluation results in the context of the most current research related to PPA diagnosis. Conclusion Detailed behavioral assessment, thorough intake of symptom history and neurodevelopmental differences, multimodal neuroimaging, and comprehensive examination of genes and biomarkers are of paramount importance for detecting and characterizing PPA, with ramifications for early behavioral and/or pharmacological intervention. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12771113.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Europa
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | - David C. Perry
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Elizabeth Weis
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Ariane E. Welch
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | - Bruce L. Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Maya L. Henry
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Texas at Austin
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