Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
13:12
Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping
Published on: August 12, 2019
Slowly progressive aphemia: a neuropsychological, conventional, and functional MRI study
R Gallassi1, L Sambati, R Poda
1Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Bologna, via U. Foscolo 7, 40123 Bologna, Italy. roberto.gallassi@unibo.it
Summary
Slowly progressive aphemia (SPA) is a rare neurological disorder affecting speech articulation due to frontal lobe degeneration. This case study highlights progressive speech impairment without cognitive decline, linked to left frontal operculum atrophy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Speech Pathology
Background:
- Slowly progressive aphemia (SPA) is a rare focal degenerative disorder.
- It is characterized by severe dysarthria, orofacial apraxia, dysprosody, and phonetic/phonemic errors.
- SPA results from degeneration of anterior frontal lobe regions, primarily the left frontal operculum.
Observation:
- A case of SPA with an 8-year course was evaluated using repeated neuropsychological and MRI examinations.
- Neuropsychological tests revealed progressive impairment in speech articulation, including dysprosody, phonetic/phonemic errors, and minor writing difficulties.
- The patient showed no global cognitive deterioration and remained autonomous throughout the observation period.
Findings:
- Morphological and functional MRI revealed progressive atrophy and functional impairment in the left frontal region.
- These findings confirm the critical role of the opercular region in the pathogenesis of SPA.
- A correlation was observed between decreased cortical activation in the left frontal region and worsening language articulation during verbal tasks.
Implications:
- This case study reinforces the understanding of SPA as a distinct neurological entity.
- It underscores the specific involvement of the left frontal operculum in articulation and speech production.
- Further research into SPA could lead to targeted therapeutic strategies for focal speech disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Dementia l: Introduction
Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...