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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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Robinson CG, Coleman T, Buciuc M, Singh NA, Pham NTT, Machulda MM, Graff-Radford J, Whitwell JL, Josephs KA. Behavioral and Neuropsychiatric Differences Across Two Atypical Alzheimer's Disease Variants: Logopenic Progressive Aphasia and Posterior Cortical Atrophy. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:895-908. [PMID: 38143349 PMCID: PMC10842893 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230652] [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] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) are two common atypical Alzheimer's disease (AD) variants. Little is known about behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms or activities of daily living (ADLs) in PCA and LPA, and whether they differ across syndromes. OBJECTIVE To characterize the behavioral and neuropsychiatric profiles and ADLs of PCA and LPA and compare presence/absence and severity of symptoms between syndromes. METHODS Seventy-eight atypical AD patients, 46 with PCA and 32 with LPA, completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and Cambridge Behavioral Inventory-Revised (CBI-R) at baseline and longitudinally over-time. Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's Exact Tests assessed for differences in symptoms between the two syndromes with significance set at p≤0.01. To eliminate demographic differences as confounders the groups were matched, and differences reanalyzed. RESULTS PCA were younger at onset (p = 0.006), at time of baseline assessment (p = 0.02) and had longer disease duration (p = 0.01). Neuropsychiatric symptoms were common in PCA and LPA, although more common and severe in PCA. At baseline, PCA had a higher NPI-Q total score (p = 0.01) and depression subscore (p = 0.01) than LPA. Baseline total CBI-R scores were also higher in PCA than LPA (p = 0.001) with PCA having worse scores in all 10 CBI-R categories. Longitudinally, there was no difference between groups on the NPI-Q. However, on the CBI-R, PCA had faster rates of worsening on self-grooming (p = 0.01) and self-dressing (p = 0.01) compared to LPA. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in PCA and LPA although these symptoms are more common and severe in PCA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tia Coleman
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Marina Buciuc
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | | | - Mary M. Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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Lu J, Zhang Z, Wu P, Liang X, Zhang H, Hong J, Clement C, Yen TC, Ding S, Wang M, Xiao Z, Rominger A, Shi K, Guan Y, Zuo C, Zhao Q. The heterogeneity of asymmetric tau distribution is associated with an early age at onset and poor prognosis in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103416. [PMID: 37137254 PMCID: PMC10176076 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103416] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Left-right asymmetry, an important feature of brain development, has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, although it's less discussed in typical Alzheimer's disease (AD). We sought to investigate whether asymmetric tau deposition plays a potential role in AD heterogeneity. METHODS Two independent cohorts consisting of patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD and AD dementia with tau PET imaging were enrolled [the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort with 18F-Flortaucipir, the Shanghai Memory Study (SMS) cohort with 18F-Florzolotau]. Based on the absolute global tau interhemispheric differences, each cohort was divided into two groups (asymmetric versus symmetric tau distribution). The two groups were cross-sectionally compared in terms of demographic, cognitive characteristics, and pathological burden. The cognitive decline trajectories were analyzed longitudinally. RESULTS Fourteen (23.3%) and 42 (48.3%) patients in the ADNI and SMS cohorts showed an asymmetric tau distribution, respectively. An asymmetric tau distribution was associated with an earlier age at disease onset (proportion of early-onset AD: ADNI/SMS/combined cohorts, p = 0.093/0.026/0.001) and more severe pathological burden (i.e., global tau burden: ADNI/SMS cohorts, p < 0.001/= 0.007). And patients with an asymmetric tau distribution were characterized by a steeper cognitive decline longitudinally (i.e., the annual decline of Mini-Mental Status Examination score: ADNI/SMS/combined cohorts, p = 0.053 / 0.035 / < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Asymmetry in tau deposition, which may be associated with an earlier age at onset, more severe pathological burden, and a steeper cognitive decline, is potentially an important characteristic of AD heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Lu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zhengwei Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoniu Liang
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiwei Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jimin Hong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Clement
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Saineng Ding
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Communication and Data Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China; Department of Informatics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Zhenxu Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Axel Rominger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kuangyu Shi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Informatics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Chuantao Zuo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qianhua Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Corriveau-Lecavalier N, Machulda MM, Botha H, Graff-Radford J, Knopman DS, Lowe VJ, Fields JA, Stricker NH, Boeve BF, Jack CR, Petersen RC, Jones DT. Phenotypic subtypes of progressive dysexecutive syndrome due to Alzheimer's disease: a series of clinical cases. J Neurol 2022; 269:4110-4128. [PMID: 35211780 PMCID: PMC9308626 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Diagnostic criteria for a progressive dysexecutive syndrome due to Alzheimer's disease (dAD) were proposed. Clinical observations suggest substantial variability in the clinico-radiological profiles within this syndrome. We report a case series of 6 patients with dAD highlighting this heterogeneity. Average age at diagnosis was 57.3 years, and patients were followed annually with clinical, cognitive, and multimodal imaging assessments for an average of 3.7 years. Cases were divided based into three subtypes based on their pattern of FDG-PET hypometabolism: predominantly left parieto-frontal (ldAD), predominantly right parieto-frontal (rdAD), or predominantly biparietal (bpdAD) (n = 2 for each). Prominent executive dysfunction was evidenced in all patients. ldAD cases showed greater impairment on measures of verbal working memory and verbal fluency compared to other subtypes. rdAD cases showed more severe alterations in measures of visual abilities compared to language-related domains and committed more perseverative errors on a measure of cognitive flexibility. bpdAD cases presented with predominant cognitive flexibility and inhibition impairment with relative sparing of working memory and a slower rate of clinical progression. rdAD and bpdAD patients developed neuropsychiatric symptoms, whereas none of the ldAD patients did. For each subtype, patterns of tau deposition relatively corresponded to the spatial pattern of FDG hypometabolism. dAD cases could be differentiated from two clinical cases of atypical AD variants (language and visual) in terms of clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging profiles, suggesting that dAD subtypes represent clinical entities separable from other variants of the disease. The recognition of distinct dAD phenotypes has clinical relevance for diagnosis, prognosis, and symptom management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mary M Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Hugo Botha
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | - David S Knopman
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Val J Lowe
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Julie A Fields
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Nikki H Stricker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Bradley F Boeve
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Clifford R Jack
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Ronald C Petersen
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - David T Jones
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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