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Updated: May 23, 2026
15:00
Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age
Published on: May 1, 2020
Progressive aphasia presenting with deep dyslexia and dysgraphia
Julie S Snowden1, Jacqueline Kindell, Jennifer C Thompson
1Cerebral Function Unit, Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, Salford Royal Foundation Trust, Salford, UK. julie.snowden@manchester.ac.uk
Summary
This study details a unique case of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) presenting with deep dyslexia and dysgraphia. The patient demonstrated a novel semantic strategy for learning, offering insights into language processing in PPA.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive language decline.
- PPA presents with significant clinical heterogeneity, making diagnosis and treatment challenging.
- Understanding specific subtypes of PPA is crucial for targeted interventions.
Observation:
- A novel case of PPA, termed 'Don', exhibited early and persistent deep dyslexia and dysgraphia.
- Don displayed dissociated access to phonological and orthographic word forms, with initial writing deficits improving over time.
- A notable lack of concordance between reading and writing errors was observed.
Findings:
- Don successfully utilized a semantic mediation strategy, associating letters with country names for learning.
- Remarkably, Don retained the ability to generate complex learned country names even when letter-sound association failed.
- The patient's performance aligns with the dual-route model of deep dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Implications:
- Findings suggest potential practical applications for speech and language therapy in managing progressive aphasia.
- This case highlights the remarkable specificity of language deficits in PPA.
- The study underscores the diverse clinical presentations within the spectrum of progressive aphasia.
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