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Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic changes in semantic dementia
Tiffany W Chow1, Arousiak Varpetian, Taryn Moss
1Rotman Research Institute and Division of Neurology, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada. tchow@rotman-baycrest.on.ca
Neurocase
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Alzheimer
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
Background:
- Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is often caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the second most common cause of PPA.
- Semantic dementia is a clinical presentation of PPA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate clinical predictors of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with semantic dementia.
- To correlate clinical findings with postmortem neuropathology in a series of semantic dementia cases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of 5 subjects with semantic dementia.
- Longitudinal clinical evaluation.
- Postmortem neuropathology examination of the central nervous system.
Main Results:
- Identified potential clinical indicators for AD in semantic dementia.
- Examined the relationship between clinical presentation and neuropathological findings.
Conclusions:
- Family history of late-onset dementia may suggest AD in semantic dementia.
- APOEepsilon4 status can be an indicator for AD.
- Combined semantic dementia and progressive non-fluent aphasia features, or early generalized seizures, may point to AD.
- Clinical parameters can help predict underlying AD pathology in semantic dementia.
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