title: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for a patient with a nonfluent/agrammatic variant of PPA in the mutism stage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The paper presents an example of the successful administration of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. Such an approach is of particular significance in cases of patients with speech and language deterioration, which is observed in a nonfluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA-G). Regaining the ability to communicate with others proves to be very important for the patients' self-esteem and enables them to restore previously broken social bonds.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient A.G., aged 73, a right-handed woman, had been a teacher of Polish before suffering from speech disorders of the PPA-G type. As the disease progressed, her communication deteriorated and finally she developed mutism. The patient was given a clinical and imaging-supported diagnosis of an isolated nonfluent/ agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA-G). The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system specially designed for her needs was introduced to help the patient to regain the possibility to communicate. After 20 sessions of training with the use of simple equipment she was again able to communicate non-verbally with her son and with the staff of the nursing home. At the same time, a considerable improvements in her social functioning, including daily activities, was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Loss of the ability to communicate with others has a serious impact upon a patient's quality of life, and often results in withdrawal and an inability to lead an independent life. The introduction of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system proves to be a great help, not only for regaining the ability to communicate, but also for the restoration of social bonds. In consequence, the previously mute patient begins to show signs of social cooperation.
authors.affiliation: Old Polish University, Kielce, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Góral-Półrola
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, The Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Półrola
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, The Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirska
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, The Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirski
authors.affiliation: Department of Electroradiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herman-Sucharska
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, The Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland; Center for Cognition and Communication, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pąchalska
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018888:Aphasia, Primary Progressive / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009155:Mutism / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life