Progressive nonfluent aphasia and subsequent aphasic dementia associated with atypical progressive supranuclear palsy pathology

Abstract

We describe a right-handed man who developed progressive nonfluent aphasia and apraxia of speech beginning at age 71. By age 74 he had behavioral changes, aphasic dementia, as well as mild parkinsonism; extraocular movements were normal except for mild limitation of upgaze. Serial neuropsychometric testing and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans showed progressive changes reflecting left>right cerebral hemisphere dysfunction. Neuropathologic examination revealed findings characteristic of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) except that the cortical pathology was more widespread than is typical of PSP. We conclude that the clinical manifestations in this case were more similar to the syndrome of progressive nonfluent aphasia with subsequent aphasic dementia and mild parkinsonism, rather than those of PSP. Hence, PSP can present clinically as an atypical dementing syndrome dominated by progressive aphasia/apraxia of speech.