Primary Progressive Aphasia: What you need to know

Primary progressive aphasia is a rare syndrome of the nervous system that affects your ability to communicate. People with the disease will have difficulty understanding or finding language to communicate. Therefore, the disease will affect the patient's ability to express his or her own thoughts. To learn more about this disease, SignsSymptomsList would like to send you the article below.

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• 1. What is primary progressive aphasia?
• 2. Symptoms of Primary Progressive Aphasia
• 3. Causes of primary progressive aphasia
• 4. Risk factors for disease
• 5. What complications will this disease cause?
• 6. Diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia
• 7. How is primary progressive aphasia treated?
• 8. Appropriate living mode

1. What is primary progressive aphasia?

Symptoms of primary progressive aphasia develop slowly, usually before age 65, and worsen over time. People with primary progressive aphasia may lose the ability to speak, write, and even understand written or spoken language.

The progression of this disease is slow. Patients can continue to take care of themselves and participate in daily activities for several years from the onset of the disease.

Primary progressive aphasia is a form of frontotemporal dementia. This is a group of disorders that result from degeneration of the frontal or temporal lobes. The brain is responsible for the function related to speech and language in these lobes.

2. Symptoms of Primary Progressive Aphasia

Symptoms of this disease can vary from person to person, depending on the language area of ​​the brain affected. There are three types of the condition, which cause different symptoms.

2.1 Semantic type primary progressive aphasia

Signs and symptoms include:

• Difficulty understanding spoken or written language, often simple words
• It becomes difficult to understand the meaning of words
• Difficulty naming an object

2.2 Primary progressive aphasia of the logopenic type

Signs and symptoms include:

• Difficult to find words to replace
• Frequently having to pause while speaking to find the right word
• Difficulty repeating phrases or sentences

2.3 Primary progressive aphasia, grammatical non-fluency

Signs and symptoms include:

• Grammar in written and spoken form becomes poor
• Difficulty understanding complex sentences
• Using wrong grammar
• May be accompanied by problems with speaking. Examples: pronunciation errors (intentional loss of speech control)

3. Causes of primary progressive aphasia

Primary progressive aphasia is caused by shrinkage (atrophy) of certain locations (lobes) of the brain, which are responsible for speech and language. In this case, the frontal, temporal or parietal lobes, mainly the left part of the brain, are affected.

This atrophy is related to the presence of abnormal proteins. As a result of this phenomenon, brain activity or function of the affected area is reduced.

4. Risk factors for disease

Some risk factors for primary progressive aphasia include:

• Learning disabilities: If you had a learning disability at an early age, especially dyslexia, you may be at higher risk for primary progressive aphasia.

• Mutations in certain genes: Gene mutations are rarely associated with this disease. If other family members have the disease, you may be at risk.

5. What complications will this disease cause?

Ultimately, patients with primary progressive aphasia lose the ability to speak and write, and even the ability to understand written and spoken language. Some people will have significant difficulties with pronunciation (A problem known as dyslexia)

As the disease progresses, other skills, such as memory, can be impaired. Some people will have neurological symptoms, such as difficulty moving. With the effects of these complications, the patient will eventually need help with day-to-day care.

As the disease progresses, people with primary progressive aphasia may also develop depression or other behavioral or social problems. Other problems can be encountered such as emotions becoming inert. Examples: Disinterest, impaired judgment, or socially inappropriate behaviors.

6. Diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia

To be able to diagnose this disease, your doctor will ask you some questions about your symptoms and have you run some tests.

Communication difficulties that gradually worsen without significant changes in thinking and behavior within a year or two is a sign of primary progressive aphasia.

6.1 Examination of nervous system function

Your doctor will perform a neurological function exam, a speech-language assessment, and a neuropsychological assessment. The tests will measure your speaking, language comprehension and skills. It also assesses the ability to recognize and name objects, recall and other functions.

6.2 Blood test

Your doctor may order blood tests to check for inflammation or to look for other conditions. If you have a gene mutation associated with primary progressive aphasia or other neurological conditions, genetic testing can identify the cause.

Closeup of blood tube test

6.3 Cranial imaging studies

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help diagnose primary progressive aphasia. At the same time, shrinkage was detected in several regions of the brain and assessed which areas were affected. An MRI can also detect strokes, tumors, or other diseases that affect brain function.

Single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) can reproduce 3D images of the brain. Positron emission tomography can examine brain function. Both tests can detect blood flow or abnormalities in glucose metabolism.

7. How is primary progressive aphasia treated?

The sad thing is that this disease cannot be cured, and there is no medicine that can treat it. However, some therapies can help improve or maintain your ability to communicate. Not only that, well-implemented therapies can help keep the condition under control.

Speech therapy

Talking to a speech-language pathologist, which focuses primarily on methods to compensate and remediate lost language skills, will be of great help in improving communication. While this therapy cannot stop the progression of the disease, it can help control the condition and slow the progression of some symptoms.

8. Appropriate living mode

The loss of the ability to communicate can be stressful and frustrating. Not only the patient, friends and family around are also affected because of communication problems. If you are a carer for someone with this condition, doing the following will greatly improve your ability to communicate:

• Find out all you can about this disease
• Patients with the disease should carry identification documents with them. Also bring documents that can help explain your illness to others.
• Although it may be necessary to wait, give the sick person time to talk.
• Speak slowly, simply and completely, and listen carefully.
• Take care of personal needs. At the same time, get enough rest and make time for social activities.

Family members need to consider long-term care options for the patient. Family members may also need financial planning for the sick person. In the critical phase of the illness, support for legal decisions should be prepared in advance.

When you suspect you have the above symptoms, do not hesitate to come to SignsSymptomsList. Here you will receive dedicated support from a team of highly qualified staff. At the same time, it is useful for diagnosis, treatment and health consultation.

Doctor Nguyen Van Huan