The study of speech and language impairments caused by brain damage has
traditionally focused on stroke patients. However, it is becoming increasingly
apparent that isolated speech and language difficulties are often the first
symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly frontotemporal lobar
degeneration (FTLD) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Moreover, 17% of
Alzheimer's disease patients present with atypical focal cognitive
manifestations, including fluent and non-fluent progressive aphasia. Patients
often complain of language deficits very early in the course of the disease
because even subtle communication difficulties can impair their ability to
function socially and professionally. Therefore, these impairments offer an
important opportunity for early detection of the disease. Characterization of
the cognitive and anatomical features of patients in this initial stage of the
disease could provide critical information for differential diagnosis and
prognosis. At a time when specific treatments for different neurodegenerative
disorders are becoming available, the necessity to make an accurate, early
differential diagnosis while such treatments are most effective has become
imperative.
Project Goals:
Goal 1
To relate changes in speech and language performance to changes in regional brain volumes over time. We
hypothesize that decline in specific sub-components of the language system, such as semantic memory, will correlate with decreased volumes of the brain
region responsible for their implementation.
Goal 2
To determine whether specific cognitive and anatomical variables can be used to predict the degree of
functional and motor impairment at the end of the study period.
Alzheimer's Disease
Program
Mail Station 7210
Post Office Box 997413
Sacramento, CA 95899-7413
Phone (916) 552-8995
Fax (916) 552-9910
Internet: www.dhs.ca.gov/Alzheimers/
