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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffPrimary progressive aphasia symptoms may vary by individual, depending on which portion of the brain's language center is involved.
Primary progressive aphasia has three types, which cause different symptoms.
Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia
In this condition, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Difficulty comprehending spoken or written language, particularly single words
- Difficulty comprehending word meanings
- Difficulty naming objects
Lopogenic variant primary progressive aphasia
In this condition, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Difficulty retrieving correct words in speech
- Frequent pauses in your speech while searching for words
- Slow speech
- Difficulty repeating phrases or sentences
Nonfluent-agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia
In this condition, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Difficulty speaking
- Hesitant, halting speech
- Making errors in speech sounds
- Difficulty understanding sentences
- Using grammar incorrectly
Symptoms may vary depending on the speaking situation and the type of primary progressive aphasia. For example, a person may need to pause frequently to find words during a conversation requiring a high level of precision but then have no pauses when exchanging small talk. Reading and writing also are usually affected.
- Ropper AH, et al. Adams & Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=54. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Gorno-Tempini ML, et al. Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology. 2011;76:1006.
- Harciarek M, et al. Primary progressive aphasias and their contribution to the contemporary knowledge about the brain-language relationship. Neuropsychology Review. 2011;21:271.
- NINDS frontotemporal dementia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/picks/picks.htm. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Rogalski E, et al. Increased frequency of learning disability in patients with primary progressive aphasia and their first-degree relatives. Archives of Neurology. 2008;65:244.
- Approach to the patient with aphasia. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed Oct. 24, 2012.
- Aphasia. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/pages/aphasia.aspx. Accessed Oct. 29, 2012.
- Communicating with people who have aphasia. The National Aphasia Association. http://www.aphasia.org/Aphasia%20Facts/communicating_with_people_who_have_aphasia.html. Accessed Oct. 29, 2012.
- Caring for a person with a frontotemporal disorder. National Institute on Aging. http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/frontotemporal-disorders-information-patients-families-and-caregivers/caring. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Treatment and management. National Institute on Aging. http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/frontotemporal-disorders-information-patients-families-and-caregivers-0. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Boeve BF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 20, 2012.
- Duffy JR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 26, 2012.
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