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2000
Volume 22, Issue 11
  • ISSN: 1567-2050
  • E-ISSN: 1875-5828

Abstract

Introduction/Objective

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a clinical syndrome characterized by progressive language impairment. Three subtypes have been identified: semantic (svPPA), nonfluent (nfPPA), and logopenic (lvPPA). Although clinical criteria exist to classify these subtypes, the specific ways in which semantic cognition is impaired across these variants have not yet been fully elucidated. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the effects of cognitive demand and imaginability on semantic cognition in patients with PPA.

Methods

Fifteen patients with PPA (five per variant) and 20 healthy controls completed a semantic association task comprising 20 items. The task included two levels of cognitive demand (low and high) and two types of concepts (concrete and abstract). Participants selected the word with the strongest semantic link to a probe word, based on synonymy, categorical relations, or shared features. Accuracy and reaction times were recorded and analyzed using nonparametric statistics.

Results

All PPA groups performed significantly worse than controls, showing fewer correct responses and longer reaction times. svPPA patients exhibited the greatest impairment across all conditions. nfPPA patients performed similarly to controls with concrete concepts but showed deficits with abstract words. lvPPA patients experienced greater difficulty under high cognitive demand, particularly with abstract words, indicating impaired semantic control.

Discussion

These findings suggest that svPPA is characterized by global impairment of conceptual knowledge, whereas nfPPA and lvPPA exhibit more selective deficits depending on concept type and cognitive demand.

Conclusion

The research herein highlights the importance of considering cognitive demand and imaginability when assessing semantic cognition in PPA.

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Effects of Cognitive Demand and Imaginability on Semantic Cognition in Patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia
Curr Alzheimer Res 22, 850 (2025); https://doi.org/10.2174/0115672050395866250904102045
/content/journals/car/10.2174/0115672050395866250904102045
/content/journals/car/10.2174/0115672050395866250904102045
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  • Article Type:     Research Article
Keyword(s): Alzheimer's disease; cognition assessment; frontotemporal dementia; language impairment; Progressive aphasia; semantic dementia

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