Although PPA itself is a life-shortening condition, people with PPA will often be affected by another illness, such as pneumonia. This is because PPA affects how the body copes with infection and with other physical problems. Pneumonia is the cause of death in up to two thirds of people with a dementia.
How long can a person live with PPA?
Prognosis and Life Expectancy The typical life expectancy from onset of the disease is 3 to 12 years. 9 Often, complications from PPA, such as swallowing difficulties, often lead to the eventual decline.
Can you recover from primary progressive aphasia?
Primary progressive aphasia can't be cured, and there are no medications to treat it. However, some therapies might help improve or maintain your ability to communicate and manage your condition.
Is primary progressive aphasia a form of Alzheimer's?
Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurological syndrome in which language capabilities become slowly and progressively impaired. Unlike other forms of aphasia that result from stroke or brain injury, PPA is caused by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.
What are the final stages of PPA?
Late-stage symptoms. Language and speech skills will continue to worsen over time. The rate of decline is different from person to person. In the later stages of PPA, other thinking skills including memory and behavior may begin to decline.Jan 3, 2019
Is PPA a form of dementia?
Primary progressive aphasia is a type of frontotemporal dementia, a cluster of related disorders that results from the degeneration of the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, which include brain tissue involved in speech and language.
How long do you live with primary progressive aphasia?
People who have the disease typically live about 3-12 years after they are originally diagnosed. In some people, difficulty with language remains the primary symptom, while others may develop additional problems including cognitive or behavioral changes or difficulty coordinating movements.
How does primary progressive aphasia progress?
People who have it can have trouble expressing their thoughts and understanding or finding words. Symptoms begin gradually, often before age 65, and worsen over time. People with primary progressive aphasia can lose the ability to speak and write and, eventually, to understand written or spoken language.