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Primary Progressive Aphasia

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Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia

Part of the book series: Clinical Handbooks in Neuropsychology ((CHNEURO))

Abstract

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a form of frontotemporal dementia that is characterized by progressive language decline. Language impairment is the primary feature in the initial stages and the main cause of impairment in activities of daily living. In recent years, three main behaviorally defined variants of PPA have been identified: (1) semantic, (2) logopenic, and (3) nonfluent/agrammatic. While the neuropathological features are heterogeneous, biomarkers and patterns of brain atrophy have been identified in association with the various subtypes. This chapter describes the clinical features of PPA, the most recent classification system, and the clinical pathologic correlates. In addition, a suggested language battery with specific tests for different aspects of language is provided to aid the clinician in differential diagnosis. A case study is included that demonstrates a classic presentation of PPA and how the test battery is used for diagnostic differentiation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Sara J. Swanson, Sara B. Pillay, Kathleen H. Elverman & Laura Glass Umfleet

Authors
  1. Sara J. Swanson
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  2. Sara B. Pillay
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  3. Kathleen H. Elverman
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  4. Laura Glass Umfleet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sara J. Swanson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Lisa D. Ravdin

  2. Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Heather L. Katzen

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Swanson, S.J., Pillay, S.B., Elverman, K.H., Umfleet, L.G. (2019). Primary Progressive Aphasia. In: Ravdin, L.D., Katzen, H.L. (eds) Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia. Clinical Handbooks in Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93497-6_31

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