title: Initial neuropsychological profile of a series of 20 patients with logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (LPPA) is classically considered as an isolated language disorder, but verbal short-term memory deficit induces difficulties in neuropsychological tests that are not intended to evaluate language.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to describe the initial symptoms and neuropsychological profiles of LPPA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted with a series of 20 consecutive patients diagnosed with LPPA. Clinical, neuroimaging, neuropsychological, and linguistic examinations are reported. The first neuropsychological examinations (mean time between neuropsychological assessment and diagnosis: 11 months) were then compared to 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 20 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) matched by age, gender, and education level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A recent onset or aggravation of anxiety disorders was frequently reported. An unusual neuropsychological profile, different from that of AD or MCI, was observed: dissociation between verbal and visual memory performances, poor encoding performances on verbal memory tests, and preserved orientation to time, difficulties with mental calculation and fluency tasks. Biparetal abnormality and left hippocampal diaschisis was frequently observed. Asymptomatic dopaminergic depletion was observed in four patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study identifies that de novo or recently worsening anxiety and specific neuropsychological profiles call for screening for LPPA, including a linguistic examination. Sometimes, there may be a continuum between LPPA and corticobasal syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France. eloi.magnin@laposte.net
authors.forename: Eloi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magnin
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chopard
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sylvestre
authors.forename: Elfried
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dariel
authors.forename: Ilham
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ryff
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mertz
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamidieu
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tio
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haffen
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galmiche
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandel
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rumbach
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018888:Aphasia, Primary Progressive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies