Primary progressive aphasia is a type of
frontotemporal dementia
, a cluster of related disorders that results from the degeneration of the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, which include brain tissue involved in speech and language.
How long does someone live with primary progressive aphasia?
People who have the disease typically live
about 3-12 years
after they are originally diagnosed. In some people, difficulty with language remains the primary symptom, while others may develop additional problems including cognitive or behavioral changes or difficulty coordinating movements.
What is primary progressive aphasia Dementia?
People who have the disease typically live
about 3-12 years
after they are originally diagnosed. In some people, difficulty with language remains the primary symptom, while others may develop additional problems including cognitive or behavioral changes or difficulty coordinating movements.
Is primary progressive aphasia the same as Alzheimer’s?
While
PPA is distinct from Alzheimer’s
, it is not a uniform disorder but rather has been shown to have 3 variants – agramatic, logopenic, and semantic. As explained in a recent article in The Atlantic: The agrammatic variant is a problem with producing words.
What are the final stages of primary progressive aphasia?
Late-stage symptoms.
Language and speech skills will continue to worsen over time. The rate of decline is different from person to person. In the later stages of PPA,
other thinking skills including memory and behavior
may begin to decline.
Does primary progressive aphasia cause death?
Although PPA itself is a life-shortening condition, people with PPA will often be affected by another illness, such as pneumonia. This is because PPA affects how the body copes with infection and with other physical problems. Pneumonia is
the cause of death in up
to two thirds of people with a dementia.
Can people with primary progressive aphasia drive?
Early on, people with PPA can understand what they read and hear, even though they are unable to communicate. They
can drive, shop, manage finances and remain independent
.
How is aphasia different from dementia?
Dementia is Latin for “madness.” This implies a state of serious memory loss to a point where normal actions such as eating or drinking are incredibly difficult. The term aphasia means “speechlessness” in Greek. Therefore, a person with aphasia can
still operate functionally
when it comes to day-to-day activity.
How can I help someone with primary progressive aphasia?
- Learn all you can about the condition.
- Have the person with the condition carry an identification card and other materials that can help explain the syndrome to others.
- Give the person time to talk.
Does aphasia ever go away?
Aphasia does not go away
.
Some people accept it better than others, but the important thing to remember is that you can continue to improve every day. It can happen, but there is no set timeline. Each person’s recovery is different.
How common is PPA?
PPA is very rare
, and many people describe long and frustrating journeys through different medical professionals before receiving a diagnosis. Even then, many people will not be told which subtype of PPA they are likely to have.
Can aphasia lead to Alzheimer’s?
Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurological syndrome in which language capabilities become slowly and progressively impaired. Unlike other forms of aphasia that result from stroke or brain injury, PPA is
caused
by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.
Is aphasia a symptom of dementia?
Aphasia symptoms associated with dementia
People with the most common types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, usually have a mild form of aphasia. This often involves
problems finding words
and can affect names, even of people they know well.
Why are my words coming out wrong?
Aphasia
results from damage to one or more of the areas of the brain responsible for language. Aphasia can occur suddenly, such as after a stroke (most common cause) or head injury or brain surgery, or may develop more slowly, as the result of a brain tumor, brain infection or neurological disorder such as dementia.
What is severe aphasia?
Severe aphasia means
the person cannot effectively get their message across most of the time
. Unfortunately, severe aphasia is also often accompanied by other problems in mobility, vision, and cognition.
Do dementia patients lose their speech?
Memory loss is usually the most common symptom of dementia but
in some cases, patients lose their ability to speak first
. Speech difficulty, known as aphasia, can range from simply forgetting a word to the complete loss of ability to speak.
