What Is The Difference Between Aphasia And Dementia

What It Means If A Family Member Has Aphasia Vs Dementia

This week, America learned the sad news that Bruce Willis plans to “step back” from his lucrative and long-standing career in Hollywood because he’s suffering from aphasia. As parents, there’s a chance your kids have heard or read the news and are wondering what aphasia is. Or perhaps they have grandparents or other loved ones dealing with aphasia or memory loss. It can be difficult for kids to understand these complicated disorders, and how to interact with people dealing with them.

Many people have never heard the term before, and likely don’t have any idea what aphasia is. But I have personal experience with it, and I know how terrible it is. I’ll share my story here, and also discuss what may be going on with Bruce Willis.

The vast majority of people tend to closely associate aphasia with dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders, so I’ll go into the similarities and differences between aphasia versus dementia as well.

Treating Alzheimers Disease Vs Other Types Of Dementia

Neither Alzheimerâs nor most other types of dementia have a cure. Doctors focus treatments on managing symptoms and keeping the disease from getting worse.

Some of the treatments for dementia and Alzheimerâs overlap.

• Cholinesterase inhibitors can help with memory loss in certain types of dementia and Alzheimerâs.
• Glutamate inhibitors help with learning and memory in both dementia and Alzheimerâs.
• Sleep medications may help with sleep changes.
• Antidepressants can help with depression symptoms.
• Antipsychotic medications may help with behavior changes.

Some types of dementia respond to treatment, depending on what is causing it. Your doctor may recommend:

• Stopping the use of drugs and alcohol
• Treating a B12 deficiency
• Getting blood sugar under control

Show Sources

Alzheimerâs Association: âCreutzfeldt-Jakob Disease,â âFrontotemporal Dementia,â âTypes of Dementia,â âWhat is Alzheimerâs?â

Alzheimerâs Disease International: âWorld Alzheimerâs Report 2015.â

Alzheimerâs Society: âSight, perception and hallucinations in dementia.â

BrightFocus Foundation: âWhatâs the Difference Between Dementia & Alzheimerâs Disease?â âTreatments for Alzheimerâs Disease.â

Dementia Society of America: âDementia FAQs.â

Fisher Center for Alzheimerâs Research Foundation: âDementia vs. Alzheimerâs.â

Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio: âAlzheimerâs Versus Dementia.â

Mayo Clinic: âAlzheimerâs Disease,â âDementia.â

Charles Marshall Phd Mrcp

We need to improve awareness that dementia can affect language as well as memory to ensure that people with PPA are diagnosed promptly and accurately.

People tend to be affected with PPA in late-middle-age, meaning that it can be an early-onset dementia.

The age of onset can differ from patient to patient, however, as can the progression of the condition someone may live for over a decade after diagnosis, and keep a high level of independence for a number of years.

Why there can be so much difference between individuals with PPA is something that scientists are researching.

PPA can, in around 10% of cases, be genetic. This means that a specific faulty gene might be causing these problems, but this is only the case for a small minority of people with PPA, says Chris Hardy, PhD, a senior research fellow at the Dementia Research Centre at the University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology.

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The Difference Between Alzheimers Disease And Primary Progressive Aphasia

Kimberly Williams-Paisley learns the difference between Alzheimers disease and primary progressive aphasia after her mothers diagnosis with PPA. The two situations share many similarities, and it can be hard for the general public to understand how they differ.

Well outline these differences in this latest installment of our online book club speaking about Kimberly Williams-Paisleys book, Where the Light Gets In. She writes about her mothers experience with primary progressive aphasia.

Are There Medicines To Treat Ppa

People with language difficulties may benefit from speech therapy to help them learn alternative ways to supplement and compensate for their lost skills. Maintaining adequate communication and social connections are critical. Unlike many people who develop aphasia from head injury or stroke, people with PPA do not typically improve with time, but a therapist may be helpful in maximizing abilities and exploring other ways to communicate. Non-verbal techniques for communicating, such as gesturing or pointing to pictures may help people express themselves.

Aphasia identification cards explaining that the person has a language problem may be helpful. Many speech pathologists and occupational therapists have their own practices, while others are available through local hospitals and medical centers. Ask your doctor for a referral.

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How To Help Someone With Short

• Create a memory album. As new life events occur, add them to the album.
• Make use of memory aids, such as post-it notes, white boards and calendars.
• Try not to ask questions that rely on new memories.
• Remind them where they are and what time it is. An orientation board might be useful, listing the date, time and weather.
• Remind them tactfully what they were talking about during the conversation.
• Make familiar music and pictures available.

Language Disorders In Semantic Dementia

SD is a clinical syndrome that results from a degenerative disease of the temporal lobes. The core features of SD include: the selective impairment of semantic memory, causing important difficulties in word production and comprehension, the relative sparing of the grammatical and phonological structure of language, normal perceptual skills and nonverbal problem-solving ability, and relatively spared autobiographical and episodic memory . In other words, semantic dementia is marked by a selective impairment of semantic memory with a relative sparing of nonsemantic aspects of language.

Reading and spelling impairments have also been reported in many cases of SD. These patients often demonstrate surface alexia and surface agraphia characteristics. A relationship between semantic impairment on the one hand and impaired word reading and impaired word spelling on the other has been proposed. This hypothesis is questioned, however, since there have been cases reported in which irregular words are read or spelled correctly without any evidence of comprehension.

Andrew E. Budson M.D., Paul R. Solomon Ph.D., in, 2011

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What Are The Types Of Primary Progressive Aphasia

Experts divide PPA into three sub-types:

• Lopogenic progressive aphasia may cause difficulty finding the right words or understanding others.
• Progressive non-fluent aphasia may cause poor grammar or difficulty talking fluently.
• Semantic dementia may cause difficulty naming objects or understanding the meaning of stand-alone words.

Aphasia In Alzheimers Disease And Other Dementias : Evidence From Chinese

• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders2019
• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders2019
• Identifying Children with Special Needs: Checklists and Action Plans for Teachers2006
• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders2019
• Language and Communication in Primary Schools2016
• Lea A. Theodore and more…Encyclopedia of School Psychology
• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders2019
• The SAGE Handbook of Developmental Disorders2011

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What Is Primary Progressive Aphasia

In most cases, this damage is caused by a group of diseases called frontotemporal dementia. Most people who develop primary progressive aphasia will be in their 50s and 60s.

The term PPA covers three separate conditions.

• Semantic dementia
• Progressive non-fluent aphasia
• Logopenic aphasia

If you would like to find out more about primary progressive aphasia including what is happening in the brain of someone with PPA you can read our blog.

How Is Dementia Diagnosed

Dementia is diagnosed through evaluation of the patients medical history and multiple additional tests including behavioral tests, memory evaluation, lab tests, and interviews of family members about recent changes in thinking and day-to-day function. While doctors can diagnose with a high level of certainty the presence of dementia, the exact type of dementia or its likely progression can be harder to determine.

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How Is Primary Progressive Aphasia Treated

There isnt a cure for primary progressive aphasia and no way to stop its progression. But some treatments may slow the diseases progression or increase your quality of life.

People may benefit from:

• Participating in speech therapy and cognitive therapy can help to maintain language and thinking skills for as long as possible.
• Learning new ways to communicate, such as sign language.
• Taking medicines, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to manage behavioral changes and reduce anxiety or depression associated with PPA.
• Taking medications approved for Alzheimers disease, if thats the underlying cause of PPA.

Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease

It is easy to confuse some of the symptoms of aphasia and dementia, which often leads to questions on whether the two medical conditions are related.

Before we go deeper into answering the query, it is important to first define these conditions.

Aphasia is a language or speech disorder that is a result of complications in the brain.

In Greek, the word Aphasia translates to speechlessness.

Dementia, on the other hand, is a general term that describes a range of medical conditions that are caused by abnormal brain changes.

In Latin, the term dementia stands for madness which implies severe memory loss in a person who was previously normal beyond what is expected as a person grows older.

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What This Means For You

Dementia can be difficult to think about or discussparticularly when it comes to types we don’t know as much about. If you think that you or a loved one might be experiencing symptoms of primary progressive aphasia, speak to your doctor, or get in touch with the Dementia Research Centre to find out more about ongoing research into the condition.

How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Primary Progressive Aphasia

Theres no guaranteed way of preventing primary progressive aphasia. Some lifestyle changes may reduce your risk of developing dementia, such as:

• Achieving and maintaining an ideal weight for your age, sex and body type.
• Avoiding serious head trauma by wearing your seatbelt and reducing your risk of falls.
• Eating a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats.
• Exercising regularly, incorporating both aerobic activity and strength training.
• Limiting daily alcohol intake to two drinks or fewer for men and one drink or fewer for women.
• Maintaining strong social connections.

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Why Am I Suddenly Stumbling Over My Words

Anxiety, especially if it crops up when you’re in front of a lot of people, can lead to dry mouth, stumbling over your words, and more troubles that can get in the way of speaking. It’s OK to be nervous. Don’t worry so much about being perfect. Taking that pressure off of yourself might get your words flowing again.

Primary Progressive Aphasia Is Not Alzheimers

Many people find it confusing to distinguish between Primary Progressive Aphasia and Alzheimers, and there are good reasons for that. First, both are neurodegenerative conditions resulting from deterioration of brain tissue rather than an injury to the brain caused by stroke or head trauma. Second, the diagnosis of both conditions involves assessing language skills, deficits in which can manifest as memory problems, e.g. failure to name a common object or give the name of a familiar person. Third, some of the neurobiological abnormalities associated with Alzheimers, such as the accumulation of amyloid plaques in parts of the brain, have been observed also in a number of PPA patients.

PPA however is not Alzheimers disease. In Alzheimers, deterioration of language is only one component of a broad, progressive decline of mental functions that include memory and reasoning. By contrast, persons with PPA dont have memory problems and most are able to maintain ability to take care of themselves, pursue hobbies, and, in some instances, remain employed. PPA is a disorder of language and signs and symptoms of other clinical syndromes are not found through tests routinely used to determine the presence of other conditions.

While PPA is distinct from Alzheimers, 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:

To find out more about PPA:

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What Is The Difference Between Dementia And Aphasia

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Treatment Of Ftd And Ppa

The treatment of FTD, at present, is largely symptomatic. Tremendous strides have been made in the diagnosis of FTD and delineating the molecular pathology and genetics of the specific variants. There is a hope that once the abnormal gene products are better worked out, specific medical treatments will become available. Social interventions, including counseling and speech/language/cognitive therapy, help patients and families adapt to the neurocognitive deficits. In AD, exercise and cognitive therapies have been associated in slowed progression of the disease, but this has not been proved as yet in FTD. Treatment of depression with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, such as paroxetine, sertraline, or citalopram, is frequently helpful, although one study of paroxetine was positive,88 and another negative.89 Trazodone may be helpful for sleep, as well as for frontal behavioral aberrations.90 One study found a positive effect of oxytocin.91

Dopaminergic drugs have been tested in patients with transcortical motor aphasia secondary to strokes, but the evidence for efficacy is lacking. Personal and anecdotal experience with dopamine agonist agents such as bromocriptine or levodopa, moreover, has not been convincing. Stimulant drugs such as amphetamines and modafinil may benefit patients with frontal lobe syndromes. Large, randomized, double-blind studies have not been reported all such therapies should be considered investigational and off-label.

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Levels Of Specificity And Typicality

Naming

On the basis of extensive pre-testing, we selected a series of 44 coloured pictures of objects that almost all normal individuals can name at a specific level. That is, pictures of boats and of small birds are typically named at the basic level but there are some reasonably well-known types of boats and small birds that most people, if asked, can name more precisely . In the pre-tests, these 44 items had 95% name agreement at this specific level in older controls, and can be dividedon the basis of familiarity ratings from controlsinto 22 higher- and 22 lower-familiarity objects . The pictures were presented for naming to the patients and controls in this study, with the instruction to produce the most specific name they could think of for that picture.

Wordpicture matching

Each of the same 44 items from the specific naming test was presented twice in an array of seven pictures. In one condition , the target object was accompanied by six semantically close distractors in the other condition , it occurred amongst completely unrelated, distant distractors . The name of the target was spoken by the experimenter and the participant was asked to point to its picture in the array.

Fig. 1

Example of wordpicture matching from the Levels of Specificity and Typicality test. In this example, the subject is asked to point to the Kingfisher. Close semantic distractors. Unrelated distant distractors.

Colour knowledge

Fig. 2

Atrophy Of The Left Hemisphere Language Network

Authors of previous research on patients with fPPA have argued that their language impairments result from atrophy in the left hemisphere language network including the temporo-parietal region . In our study, however, the VBM analysis of a cohort of patients who met criteria for fPPA identified focal bilateral temporal lobe atrophy with particular emphasis on the ventral rostral surface. This pattern is essentially identical to that reported in previous imaging studies of patients with SD . Importantly, only the degree of atrophy in the left inferior temporal lobe was significantly associated with performance on both verbal and non-verbal measures. The absence of statistically reliable abnormality in the temporo-parietal region of the LHLN may reflect the relatively low power of the analysis due to the small sample size, and so does not prove normality in this region. Nevertheless, we suggest that our findings may differ from previous evidence on this question because studies like included non-fluent as well as fPPA in their imaging analysis: there is clear evidence that cases of progressive non-fluent aphasia typically have significant atrophy or hypometabolism in the LHLN . There was no evidence from the current findings that joint impairments to verbal and non-verbal semantic memory result from damage to two independent neural networks.

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Lost Naming And Wordpicture Matching

Statistical analysis revealed that the patient group was impaired relative to controls at naming both high- and low-familiarity items, and matching low familiarity words to target pictures with close distractors . Due to all controls performing at ceiling on the distant distractor subtest, the data were not analysed statistically. However, as shown in , there was some overlap between patient and control performance on both the high and low familiarity conditions of the distant distractor subtest. Patient scores were generally lower for naming and matching low- relative to high-familiarity items, although the same was true of controls in the close-distractor condition. Statistical analysis comparing the difference in performance between the high and low familiarity conditions revealed that the patient group showed a larger familiarity effect than the control group when the distractor pictures were semantically close to the target . See for individual performance on each wordpicture matching condition.

Fig. 3

What Type Of Dementia Causes Loss Of Words

The three kinds of frontotemporal dementia These include: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia: affects personality and behavior. primary progressive aphasia: affects speech at first and then behavior. progressive nonfluent aphasia: causes people to lose their ability to recall and speak words.

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