Native Language May Affect Speech, Reading Issues in Dementia

A study in Neurology found people with dementia may develop distinct speech and reading problems depending on their native language, reports United Press International . Included in the study were 20 English-speaking and 18 Italian-speaking persons with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), an ailment often associated with dementia. The subjects had difficulty producing or pronouncing words, a condition known as nonfluent PPA. Although both cohorts had similar levels of degeneration and brain function, English-speakers had more difficulty pronouncing words and tended to speak less than usual. The Italian-speakers had fewer pronunciation problems but tended to produce much shorter and grammatically simpler sentences. "We think this is specifically because the consonant clusters that are so common in English pose a challenge for a degenerating speech-planning system," said University of California, San Francisco Professor Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini. "In contrast, Italian is easier to pronounce, but has much more complex grammar, and this is how Italian-speakers with PPA tend to run into trouble." The researchers suggested these findings could enhance accurate diagnosis of PPA across different cultures.