UA Study of Language Disorder Could Aid Early Dementia Detection

Research published in Neuropsychologia uncovered a pattern in brain dysfunction related to a rare language disorder, Primary Progressive Aphasia, according to Arizona Public Media . University of Arizona (UA) scientists studied relevant brain regions while subjects performed language tasks, and found their magnetic resonance imaging scans appeared structurally normal. "But then, during the language task, we can only see that on the functional scan that it was abnormal," said UA's Aneta Kielar. This suggested the degeneration of other areas in the language network. The findings imply that the relationship between structure and function could aid in early detection of dementia.