Mayo Clinic offers a collaborative approach that involves a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's disease and associated symptoms by physicians who have extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with primary progressive aphasia. These specialists include neurologists, speech pathologists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, sleep medicine specialists and physical medicine specialists.
At Mayo Clinic, treatment is tailored to each patient and takes into account the patient's and family's needs while providing state-of-the-art care and access to new developments and appropriate clinical trials.
Follow-up care is available at Mayo Clinic and efforts are made to coordinate care with the patient's primary or local physicians.
A physician may diagnose primary progressive aphasia based on a patient's medical history, a neurological exam, tests of language skills and brain imaging studies. Read more about primary progressive aphasia diagnosis.
Although no cure for primary progressive aphasia yet exists, there are several medications as well as many non-medication approaches that can potentially improve daily functioning and quality of life. One key to effective management is a coordinated approach to the treatment options. Read more about primary progressive aphasia treatment options.
Primary progressive aphasia is a degenerative disorder of the brain in which nerve cells die over time, causing a progressive decline in language skills. Symptoms include poor recall of names of people or objects, difficulties with speech, difficulties with reading and writing, and poor comprehension.