Patterns of language decline in non-fluent primary progressive aphasia

Abstract

Language samples collected yearly for up to 11 years post-onset of symptoms from four subjects presenting with non-fluent primary progressive aphasia (PPA) were analyzed and compared with samples collected from both non-brain-damaged subjects and those with agrammatic Broca's aphasia resulting from a single left-hemisphere stroke. Extensive analysis of lexical and morphosyntactic variables in these samples revealed two patterns of expressive language decline in the PPA subjects—one resembling that seen in our agrammatic aphasic subjects—i.e. impaired production of closed-class elements and loss of sentential structures governed by these elements—and the other characterized by advancing word-retrieval difficulties. These data are relevant for patient-management purposes and, in addition, they provide information relevant to language representation and organization.