Speech and language based dementias (SLDs) (often referred to as primary progressive aphasias) are neurodegenerative diseases in which speech and language impairments are the most salient features of the disease and explain deficits in activities of daily living. These dementias may or may not be associated with the deposition of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain, which until recently could only be determined at postmortem. Since new treatments will likely target underlying abnormal proteins, accurate prediction of the pathology underlying the SLDs is critical. The recent development of amyloid imaging compounds now allows the in vivo detection of beta-amyloid in the brain. Unfortunately, amyloid imaging compounds are expensive and are not accessible to most medical centers throughout the United States. The objectives of the studies outlined in this proposal are to identify clinical, neuropsychological or non-amyloid imaging biomarkers that are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and non-invasive, that will allow the prediction of beta-amyloid in the brain in patients with SLDs. To accomplish this goal we will be using the amyloid imaging compound 11C Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) as the gold standard for the detection of beta-amyloid. The methods will include detailed neurological, speech and language and neuropsychological assessments, magnetic resonance imaging, and [18-F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) and PiB PET scanning. Associations between PiB positive scanning and these techniques will be sought. One of the most salient features of the speech and language assessments will be the determination of the presence and severity of apraxia of speech and its association with beta-amyloid deposition. This study will be carried out at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, which evaluates a large number of patients with SLDs annually. The study also intends to recruit minorities with SLDs which are currently understudied. The methods will be performed by a team of world renowned scientists including dementia, movement disorders and speech pathology specialists, radiology researchers, a nuclear medicine scientist, neuropsychologists, and biostatisticians. The long term goal of our research is to develop a cost effective algorithmic approach to the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with SLDs.

Public Health Relevance

This study will identify ways to determine whether Alzheimer's disease is the underlying cause of a patient's progressive speech and language problem. In addition, the study aims to identify the most cost effective way to do this so that more patients, including minorities, can be given an accurate diagnosis. Results from this grant will ultimately lead to better targeted future treatments for patients with problems with speech and language.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC010367-03
Application #
8212043
Study Section
Language and Communication Study Section (LCOM)
Program Officer
Cooper, Judith
Project Start
2010-02-01
Project End
2015-01-31
Budget Start
2012-02-01
Budget End
2013-01-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$334,197
Indirect Cost
$92,197
Name
Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Department
Type
DUNS #
006471700
City
Rochester
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55905
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Tetzloff, Katerina A; Utianski, Rene L; Duffy, Joseph R et al. (2018) Quantitative Analysis of Agrammatism in Agrammatic Primary Progressive Aphasia and Dominant Apraxia of Speech. J Speech Lang Hear Res 61:2337-2346
Tetzloff, Katerina A; Duffy, Joseph R; Strand, Edythe A et al. (2018) Clinical and imaging progression over 10 years in a patient with primary progressive apraxia of speech and autopsy-confirmed corticobasal degeneration. Neurocase 24:111-120
Utianski, Rene L; Botha, Hugo; Duffy, Joseph R et al. (2018) Rapid rate on quasi-speech tasks in the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia: A non-motor phenomenon? J Acoust Soc Am 144:3364
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Utianski, Rene L; Duffy, Joseph R; Clark, Heather M et al. (2018) Prosodic and phonetic subtypes of primary progressive apraxia of speech. Brain Lang 184:54-65
Utianski, Rene L; Whitwell, Jennifer L; Schwarz, Christopher G et al. (2018) Tau-PET imaging with [18F]AV-1451 in primary progressive apraxia of speech. Cortex 99:358-374
Whitwell, Jennifer L; Duffy, Joseph R; Machulda, Mary M et al. (2017) Tracking the development of agrammatic aphasia: A tensor-based morphometry study. Cortex 90:138-148
Whitwell, Jennifer L; Weigand, Stephen D; Duffy, Joseph R et al. (2017) Predicting clinical decline in progressive agrammatic aphasia and apraxia of speech. Neurology 89:2271-2279

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