Chapter 31 - Language and Communication in Non-Alzheimer's Dementias

Abstract

This chapter discusses language and communication disturbances that occur in non-Alzheimer's dementias, including the related abnormalities in cognition, aspects of neuropathology, and neuroimaging. The language deficits in vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (e.g., Pick's disease), Huntington's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, and primary progessive aphasia are included. Disturbances in language and communication are often prominent symptoms in dementing illnesses. Many dementing illnesses lead to aphasia, others primarily impair verbal fluency or result in motor speech disturbances such as dysarthria. These language and communication disorders occurs mainly due to cerebrobvascular disease (vascular dementia), degeneration of the frontal lobes, and the anterior temporal lobes (frontotemporal dementias). Because these are dementing disorders, language deficits occur within the context of other cognitive deficits. Although substantial information is available regarding language changes in dementia, controversies remain regarding the extent and nature of language deficits.