A study on language features in Alzheimer's disease versus behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate and compare the language features among patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia(bv-FTD),Alzheimer's disease(AD) and healthy controls,and to determine the clinical value of language tests in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the two kinds of dementia diseases.Methods A total of 17 bv-FTD patients,18 AD patients and 18 healthy controls were enrolled in Beijing hospital from Nov.2012 to Dec.2013.The language performances in four aspects of listening,speaking,reading and writing by seven items of listening comprehension,repetition,naming,speaking,read aloud,reading comprehension and writing were compared by using the one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)and least significant difference(LSD)tests.Results There were significant differences among the three groups in speaking general scores (AD 128± 46,bv-FTD 113 ± 19,controls 158 ± 13) (F =23.34,P =0.049) and in writing (AD 8 ± 5,bv-FTD 8 ± 4,controls 11 ± 1) (F =27.07,P =0.000).A t rend of statistical difference was observed in general scores of listening comprehension(F =20.96,P =0.060).No difference was found in general scores of repetition,in naming,in reading aloud and in reading comprehension(all P ＞ 0.05).As compared with controls,bv-FTD patients were comprehensively impaired in sub-items of listening comprehension,in naming and in speaking(all P ＜0.05).As compared with controls,AD patients were significantly impaired in a few sub-items of listening comprehension,in naming and in speaking(P ＜0.05).There were significant differences in naming objects,grammar and word finding between AD patients and bv-FTD patients(51± 19 vs.47±13,6±1 vs.6±1,6±1 vs.6±1,P=0.037,0.010 and 0.021,respectively).Conclusions The detailed language examinations are helpful for screening AD and bv-FTD.However,the values are limited in the differential diagnosis between the two types of dementia diseases.It is necessary to combine the detailed language examinations with other tests.