Slowly progressive aphasia: report of a case

We report on the case of a 66-year-old right-handed woman, who shows the clinical and behavioral features of "slowly progressive aphasia" described by MESULAM. At the age of 63 the patient began to develop progressive disturbances of word fluency and naming. The neuropsychological examination revealed amnestic aphasia and a mild impairment of verbal memory. Neuroradiological findings demonstrated left temporo-parietal atrophy. A neuropsychological evaluation performed two years later showed a worsening of language disorders and only a slight compromission in other cognitive areas, while the activities of daily living and the occupational functioning remained unimpaired.