Language disturbance. An initial symptom of cortical degenerations and dementia
H. S. Kirshner, W. G. Webb, M. P. Kelly and C. E. Wells
Six patients manifested progressive language disturbance, resembling
aphasia secondary to a focal dominant hemisphere lesion, as either an
isolated initial symptom or a prominent early feature of a more generalized
dementing illness. None had a history of transient ischemic attacks or
stroke, and in all cases an extensive clinical and laboratory investigation
failed to show either a focal brain lesion or a definable etiology of
dementia. This article discusses the relationship of isolated or early
aphasia to known dementing syndromes. Patients who consult physicians for
language disturbance should be evaluated and followed up both for evidence
of progressive language deterioration and for the development of a
generalized dementia.
