Neologistic jargon aphasia and agraphia in primary progressive aphasia

J Neurol Sci. 2009 Feb 15;277(1-2):155-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2008.10.014. Epub 2008 Nov 25.

Abstract

The terms 'jargon aphasia' and 'jargon agraphia' describe the production of incomprehensible language containing frequent phonological, semantic or neologistic errors in speech and writing, respectively. Here we describe two patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) who produced neologistic jargon either in speech or writing. We suggest that involvement of the posterior superior temporal-inferior parietal region may lead to a disconnection between stored lexical representations and language output pathways leading to aberrant activation of phonemes in neologistic jargon. Parietal lobe involvement is relatively unusual in PPA, perhaps accounting for the comparative rarity of jargon early in the course of these diseases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Agraphia / complications
  • Agraphia / pathology*
  • Aphasia, Primary Progressive / complications
  • Aphasia, Primary Progressive / pathology*
  • Aphasia, Wernicke / complications
  • Aphasia, Wernicke / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Parietal Lobe / pathology
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology