Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) may develop in people with Alzheimers disease.
Aphasia is an impairment of speech and language comprehension which also affects the ability to read and write.
Gradual brain degeneration resulting from certain forms of dementia, like Alzheimers disease, can cause PPA to develop.
Illustration by Jiaqi Zhou for Verywell Health
Over time, PPA affects a person’s ability to express themselves and interact socially and professionally.
Illustration by Jiaqi Zhou for Verywell Health
What Is Aphasia?
It ranges in severity, meaning it can be very mild or so severe that communication is nearly impossible.
Several types of aphasia are resulting from damage to a specific brain region that controls certain language features.
Primary progressive aphasiais a key in of dementia that may result from a neurodegenerative disease, like Alzheimers.
The ability to speak may eventually be lost.
Symptoms
Aphasia can manifest with difficulty in comprehension and/or expression.
Aphasia that’s associated with dementia includes word-finding problems.
It may cause a person to hesitate at length, and mentally search for the right word before speaking.
Word-finding aphasia may manifest with:
Someone with early dementia may have greater difficulty speaking than with comprehension.
But sometimes, it’s hard to be sure.
They may simply appear as if they understand (for example, by nodding their head).
Otherearly signs of Alzheimer’s dementiacan appear along with aphasia.
These signs include forgetfulness, confusion, emotional outbursts, personality changes, and a sudden lack of inhibition.
They may call it a “brain jam” or “brain fog.”
Does it happen when they’re tired, multitasking, or extremely stressed?
Or does it occur when they’re calm and relaxed?
These areas control memory, judgment, problem-solving, and emotions.
It generally does not follow the speech pattern of other types of aphasia.
It typically occurs infrontotemporaldementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease.
And they all boil down to one point: Live a healthy lifestyle.
In bilingual people, aphasia affects second-language skills before it begins to affect first-language skills.
A healthcare provider will consider your loved one’s baseline language ability during an initial assessment.
For example, your loved one would be expected to demonstrate familiarity with words in their field of work.
Forgetting words that they’ve presumably used often and easily could be a warning sign of dementia or aphasia.
Treatment
Treatment for aphasia involves a multidisciplinary approach that might call for medication and therapy.
This should be an ongoing process, especially if the underlying cause of the aphasia continues to progress.
If your loved one is at risk for stroke, lifestyle factors and medication can reduce the risk.
Even if aphasia is caused solely by dementia, having a stroke can substantially worsen the symptoms.
Being patient and supportive is your best coping strategy.
For example:
Summary
Aphasia pops up if areas of the brain that control language are damaged.
This impairs the ability to speak and understand.
Prevention and treatment for aphasia involve a multidisciplinary approach that might call for medication and therapy.
Northwestern Medicine - Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease.Symptoms & Causes of PPA.
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National Institute on Aging.Communicating with someone who has Alzheimers disease.
internet of Care for Mental/Behavioral Health of Butler County, Pennsylvania.Dementia: tips for communicating.
