Is Primary Progressive Aphasia Fatal?

Primary progressive aphasia is a rare form of dementia characterized by gradual loss of verbal abilities and word recognition. Although the impact of the syndrome is severe, it is not fatal.

The Facts

• According to Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, primary progressive aphasia is most commonly caused by nonspecific (unknown) degeneration of cells in the brain's language center. Additional causes include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Pick's disease.

Disease Variations

• The particular pattern of language loss in progressive primary aphasia varies from person to person, and depends upon the specific area of the brain that is damaged.

Symptoms

• The Mayo Clinic cites potential symptoms of the disorder that include reading comprehension difficulties, inability to name objects, inability to understand word definitions and improper use of grammar features such as verb tenses, conjunctions and word endings.

Outlook

• Within roughly 10 years of initial diagnosis, most individuals with progressive aphasia lose their ability to speak or comprehend spoken or written communication, but death is not indicated. Within five years of diagnosis, dementia symptoms may spread to other areas of the brain.

Considerations

• Progressive aphasia patients frequently retain normal abilities to perform nonverbal tasks, and may even excel in these areas.