Primary progressive aphasia

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition Symptoms Causes

Tests and diagnosis Treatments and drugs Coping and support

Definition

Primary progressive aphasia is a rare neurological syndrome that impairs language capabilities, primarily in people over the age of 50. The exact cause is unknown, but brain imaging studies of people with the condition show shrinkage in the section of the brain devoted to language skills.

Language skills gradually diminish, sometimes leaving the person with great difficulty understanding and using written or spoken language. While there is no cure, training in alternative methods of communication can help compensate for the loss of language skills.

Primary progressive aphasia is sometimes mistaken for Alzheimer's disease because early symptoms of the two disorders can be similar. But primary progressive aphasia is not usually a part of Alzheimer's disease. It is more often linked to frontotemporal dementia — a cluster of related disorders that all originate in the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain.

NEXT:

Symptoms