Neuroanatomical correlates of screening for aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) battery in non-fluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Enrico Premi, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili Brescia; Maria Cotelli, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli; Elena Gobbi, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli; Ilaria Pagnoni, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli; Giuliano Binetti, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli; Yasmine Gadola, University of Brescia; Ilenia Libri, University of Brescia; Irene Mattioli, University of Brescia; Marta Pengo, University of Brescia; Armin Iraji, Georgia State University; Vince Calhoun, Emory University; Antonella Alberici, University of Brescia; Barbara Borroni, University of Brescia; Rosa Manenti, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-10-31
• Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Premi, Cotelli, Gobbi, Pagnoni, Binetti, Gadola, Libri, Mattioli, Pengo, Iraji, Calhoun, Alberici, Borroni and Manenti.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.942095
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
• Volume: 14
• Start Page: 942095
• End Page: 942095
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2018-12365105) and the National Institutes of Health (RF1AG063153).
• Keywords: imaging; NAMING ERRORS; CATEGORY; NONFLUENT; Science & Technology; CONNECTIVITY; LANGUAGE; Geriatrics & Gerontology; source-based morphometry (SBM); primary progressive aphasia; frontotemporal lobar degeneration; Neurosciences; NORMATIVE VALUES; SOURCE-BASED MORPHOMETRY; PATTERNS; Neurosciences & Neurology; voxel-based morphometry (VBM); language; SPEECH; INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Abstract

Background: Non-fluent/agrammatic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (avPPA) is primarily characterized by language impairment due to atrophy of the inferior frontal gyrus and the insula cortex in the dominant hemisphere. The Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) battery has been recently proposed as a screening tool for PPA, with several tasks designed to be specific for different language features. Applying multivariate approaches to neuroimaging data and verbal fluency tasks, Aachener Aphasie Test (AAT) naming subtest and SAND data may help in elucidating the neuroanatomical correlates of language deficits in avPPA. Objective: To investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of language deficits in avPPA using verbal fluency tasks, AAT naming subtest and SAND scores as proxies of brain structural imaging abnormalities. Methods: Thirty-one avPPA patients were consecutively enrolled and underwent extensive neuropsychological assessment and MRI scan. Raw scores of verbal fluency tasks, AAT naming subtest, and SAND subtests, namely living and non-living picture naming, auditory sentence comprehension, single-word comprehension, words and non-words repetition and sentence repetition, were used as proxies to explore structural (gray matter volume) neuroanatomical correlates. We assessed univariate (voxel-based morphometry, VBM) as well as multivariate (source-based morphometry, SBM) approaches. Age, gender, educational level, and disease severity were considered nuisance variables. Results: SAND picture naming (total, living and non-living scores) and AAT naming scores showed a direct correlation with the left temporal network derived from SBM. At univariate analysis, the left middle temporal gyrus was directly correlated with SAND picture naming (total and non-living scores) and AAT naming score. When words and non-words repetition (total score) was considered, a direct correlation with the left temporal network (SBM) and with the left fusiform gyrus (VBM) was also evident. Conclusion: Naming impairments that characterize avPPA are related to specific network-based involvement of the left temporal network, potentially expanding our knowledge on the neuroanatomical basis of this neurodegenerative condition.