A new study has found that at least five different brain-attacking diseases strike different parts of the human language network. Conducted by researchers at Northwestern University’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease and published in the journal Brain, the findings suggests that not only is it time to shift the way brain diseases are diagnosed but it’s also time to change the approach to treatment when patients exhibit language impairment.
Primary Progressive Aphasia
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease that selectively impairs language without affecting speech or memory. It comes in many forms, explains Marsel Mesulam, lead author of the study and director of the Mesulam Center. An estimated one in 100,000 people have PPA, he says, and because early symptoms are subtle, they are often ignored or misdiagnosed as anxiety or throat issues. This lack of timeliness in diagnosing, even by specialists, is problematic, he adds.
