title: Characteristics of language impairment in Parkinson's disease and its influencing factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Language impairment is relatively common in Parkinson's disease (PD), but not all PD patients are susceptible to language problems. In this study, we identified among a sample of PD patients those pre-disposed to language impairment, describe their clinical profiles, and consider factors that may precipitate language disability in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional cohort of 31 PD patients and 20 controls were administered the Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) to assess language abilities, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to determine cognitive status. PD patients were then apportioned to a language-impaired PD (LI-PD) group or a PD group with no language impairment (NLI-PD). Performance on the WAB and MoCA was investigated for correlation with the aphasia quotient deterioration rate (AQDR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PD patients scored significantly lower on most of the WAB subtests than did the controls. The aphasia quotient, cortical quotient, and spontaneous speech and naming subtests of the WAB were significantly different between LI-PD and NLI-PD groups. The AQDR scores significantly and positively correlated with age at onset and motor function deterioration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A subset group was susceptible to language dysfunction, a major deficit in spontaneous speech. Once established, dysphasia progression is closely associated with age at onset and motor disability progression.
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Liu
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China ; Department of Laboratory Medicine of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Xiao-Guang
authors: XG
authors: Luo
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Chui-Liang
authors: CL
authors: Dy
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Ren
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Feng
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Hong-Mei
authors: HM
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Shang
authors: Neurology Department of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Bei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001 China.
authors: Zhi-Yi
authors: ZY
authors: He
keywords: Aphasia quotient; Language function deterioration rate; Language impairment; Parkinson’s disease; Western aphasia battery