The Relationship between Behavioural Changes, Cognitive Symptoms, and Functional Disability in Primary Progressive...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• The relationship between behavioral changes and functional decline in primary progressive aphasia (PPA) remains underexplored.
• PPA encompasses distinct variants, including semantic (svPPA) and non-fluent (nfvPPA), each with unique clinical presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine functional changes in svPPA and nfvPPA over 12 months.
• To compare baseline behavioral differences between PPA variants.
• To identify predictors of functional decline in PPA.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study followed 29 individuals with PPA (18 svPPA, 11 nfvPPA) annually.
• Functional and behavioral assessments were conducted, with 114 assessments in total.
• Statistical analyses included repeated-measures ANOVA, regression, and pairwise comparisons.

Main Results:

• Functional profiles were similar in svPPA and nfvPPA up to 5 years of disease duration.
• In svPPA, apathy and stereotypical behavior were prominent, but global cognition predicted functional decline.
• In nfvPPA, mild behavioral changes (disinhibition, apathy) significantly predicted functional decline.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral changes and functional disability interact distinctively in svPPA and nfvPPA.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for prognosis, disease management, and intervention outcome measures.
• Tailored approaches considering variant-specific factors are recommended for PPA care.