Semantic variant Primary Progressive Aphasia: Additional semantic features in Chinese language users

Background To date, most literature on Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) has been based English language users. Yet, there are more than 7,000 living languages worldwide with vast heterogeneities in their linguistic features. Contrary to language, Chinese is a classifier which it grammatically mandatory have classifiers present between numerals and nouns. In addition, characters typically an abundance of homophones (i.e., words same pronunciation but vary orthography meaning) heteronyms meaning pronunciation). users rely semantic knowledge identify the accurate classifiers, homophones, heteronym pronunciations. Thus, we hypothesize that Chinese-speaking variant (sv) PPA patients difficulties producing heteronyms. Method assess production, participants presented pictures Participants first tasked noun-specific spontaneously. If failed, they four select. evaluate homophone selection skills, shown short sentences one character/word removed. They then complete by choosing presented. For reading, asked read out loud compound (e.g., “windmill” “wind up”). Result We recruited 22 controls 47 individuals (12 svPPA, 10 nonfluent (nfv) 25 logopenic (lv) PPA). production test, svPPA lvPPA produce fewer (p<0.0001, p = 0.001), showing least improvement when multiple choices (p 0.003). scored lower (p<0.0001 0.007). reading showed lowest performance 0.001). Using voxel-based morphometry, noted ability correlated grey matter volumetric changes over anterior portion left temporal lobe fusiform gyri, brain regions associated functions. Conclusion symptomatology may across languages. studying symptoms via linguistically diverse approach potentially provides comprehensive understanding syndrome.