Primary progressive aphasia

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Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Primary progressive aphasia can't be cured. However, doctors and other health care professionals can help you manage your condition.

Medications
There are no drugs that specifically treat primary progressive aphasia.

Researchers continue to study potential medications to treat primary progressive aphasia. Experimental therapies may be available in upcoming years.

Speech and language therapy
Working with a speech-language pathologist, focusing primarily on efforts to compensate for eroding language skills, can be helpful. Although speech and language therapy hasn't been proved to prevent or slow progression of the condition, it can help you manage your condition.

Coping and support Tests and diagnosis

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References
  1. 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.
  2. Gorno-Tempini ML, et al. Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology. 2011;76:1006.
  3. Harciarek M, et al. Primary progressive aphasias and their contribution to the contemporary knowledge about the brain-language relationship. Neuropsychology Review. 2011;21:271.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Approach to the patient with aphasia. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
  7. 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.
  8. Aphasia. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/pages/aphasia.aspx. Accessed Oct. 29, 2012.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Boeve BF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 20, 2012.
  13. Duffy JR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 26, 2012.
DS00750 Jan. 16, 2013

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