Clinical Manifestations

Primary progressive aphasias (PPA) are a group of neurodegenerative syndromes primarily characterized by the progressive loss of language. Despite established diagnostic criteria, identification can be challenging, especially in regions with limited resources and few studies, such as Latin America. This study aims to describe the clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological characteristics of a cohort of Peruvian patients diagnosed with PPA.

A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with PPA at a reference center in Lima, Peru. The 2011 international consensus criteria for PPA were applied. Neuropsychological and clinical assessments, along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were used to confirm the diagnosis. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed for sociodemographic, clinical, and radiological variables. ANOVA was used to assess differences in the neuropsychological battery scores between PPA syndrome groups. IRB approval was obtained for this study RESULT: A total of 22 patients were included in the study. The average age of participants was 65.3 (SD 8.7), and 77.3% were male. Semantic and non-fluent variants were the most frequent PPA subtype with 9 patients respectively. The UDS assessment revealed significant differences were observed in the Letters: P task, where the svPPA and nfvPPA groups performed significantly better than the lvPPA group (p = 0.0415). Regarding MRI findings, a high proportion of patients (60%) with nfvPPA presented diffuse atrophy, without predominance.

This study highlights the clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological characteristics of Peruvian patients with PPA, contributing valuable data from a region with limited research in this field. Comprehensive evaluations in resource-limited settings to improve diagnostic accuracy and understanding of PPA in diverse populations are needed. Further studies are needed for better characterization of these patients in the region.