Motor Speech Phenotypes of Frontotemporal Dementia, Primary Progressive Aphasia, and Progressive Apraxia of Speech

Purpose

Our purpose was to create a comprehensive review of speech impairment in frontotemporal dementia (FTD), primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and progressive apraxia of speech in order to identify the most effective measures for diagnosis and monitoring, and to elucidate associations between speech and neuroimaging.

Method

Speech and neuroimaging data described in studies of FTD and PPA were systematically reviewed. A meta-analysis was conducted for speech measures that were used consistently in multiple studies.

Results

The methods and nomenclature used to describe speech in these disorders varied between studies. Our meta-analysis identified 3 speech measures which differentiate variants or healthy control-group participants (e.g., nonfluent and logopenic variants of PPA from all other groups, behavioral-variant FTD from a control group). Deficits within the frontal-lobe speech networks are linked to motor speech profiles of the nonfluent variant of PPA and progressive apraxia of speech. Motor speech impairment is rarely reported in semantic and logopenic variants of PPA. Limited data are available on motor speech impairment in the behavioral variant of FTD.

Conclusions

Our review identified several measures of speech which may assist with diagnosis and classification, and consolidated the brain–behavior associations relating to speech in FTD, PPA, and progressive apraxia of speech.

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