title: Adaptation to Early-Stage Nonfluent/Agrammatic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia: A First-Person Account.
abstract: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a young-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by declining language ability. The nonfluent/agrammatic variant of PPA (PPA-G) has the core features of agrammatism in language production and effortful, halting speech. As with other frontotemporal spectrum disorders, there is currently no cure for PPA, nor is it possible to slow the course of progression. The primary goal of treatment is therefore palliative in nature. However, there is a paucity of published information about strategies to make meaningful improvements to the quality of life of people with PPA, particularly in the early stages of the disease where any benefit could most be appreciated by the affected person. This report describes a range of strategies and adaptations designed to improve the quality of life of a person with early-stage PPA-G, based on my experience under the care of a multidisciplinary medical team.
authors.affiliation: Volunteer, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA joanne.t.douglas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joanne T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D001039:Aphasia, Broca / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D057178:Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia / Q000534:rehabilitation*
keywords: adaptation; frontotemporal degeneration; nonfluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia; palliative care