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Progressive language disorder due to lobar atrophy
Snowden JS, Neary D, Mann DM, Goulding PJ, Testa HJ.. Annals of neurology, 1992-02-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Sixteen patients with progressive language disorder have been studied longitudinally. Anomia was a prominent presenting characteristic and mutism ultimately occurred. Patients, however, were clinically heterogeneous. Some exhibited nonfluent, agrammatic features, whereas others demonstrated a fluent aphasia, with profound loss of word meaning. Although language disorder remained the sole symptom in a minority of patients, in others an associative agnosia or personality and behavioral changes, or both, emerged. Findings on computed tomography and single photon emission tomography mirrored the areas of dysfunction suggested by the neuropsychological profiles and demonstrated abnormalities restricted to the left hemisphere or involving bilateral frontotemporal cortices. Brains of 3 patients, with distinctive clinical pictures, have been examined at autopsy. Each revealed a focal distribution of atrophy, gliosis and spongiform change, and an absence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. There was clinical and pathological overlap with frontal lobe dementia. We argue that progressive language disorder is clinically heterogeneous and forms part of a spectrum of clinical presentations of non-Alzheimer lobar atrophy.
Key findings
- Some exhibited nonfluent, agrammatic features, whereas others demonstrated a fluent aphasia, with profound loss of word meaning.
- Findings on computed tomography and single photon emission tomography mirrored the areas of dysfunction suggested by the neuropsychological profiles and demonstrated abnormalities restricted to the left hemisphere or involving bilateral frontotemporal cortices.
- Each revealed a focal distribution of atrophy, gliosis and spongiform change, and an absence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Why it matters
This study of 16 patients describes progressive language disorder due to lobar atrophy, with autopsy findings showing no senile plaques or neurofibrillary tangles. The authors argue this condition is part of a spectrum of non-Alzheimer lobar atrophy, so it does not concern treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Annals of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Annals of Neurology: journal h-index 437 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1992 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 269 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.5 citations a year over 36 year(s) since 1992 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 18 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author H. J. Testa: h-index 26 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Manchester: institution h-index 1,304 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 1575456) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Snowden, J. S., Neary, D., Mann, D. M., Goulding, P. J., & Testa, H. J. (1992). Progressive language disorder due to lobar atrophy. Annals of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410310208
Vancouver
Snowden JS, Neary D, Mann DM, Goulding PJ, Testa HJ. Progressive language disorder due to lobar atrophy. Annals of neurology. 1992. doi:10.1002/ana.410310208. PMID: 1575456.
BibTeX
@article{snowden1992-1575456,
author = {Snowden, J. S. and Neary, D. and Mann, D. M. and Goulding, P. J. and Testa, H. J.},
title = {{Progressive language disorder due to lobar atrophy}},
journal = {Annals of neurology},
year = {1992},
doi = {10.1002/ana.410310208},
pmid = {1575456},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410310208}
}
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