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Connected speech in progressive supranuclear palsy: a possible role in differential diagnosis

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Abstract

Background

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an atypical Parkinsonism characterized by motor and neuropsycological disorders. Language could be impaired in PSP patients, also in Richardson variant (PSP-RS). The analysis of connected speech is used in neurodegenerative disorder to investigate different levels of language organization, including phonetic, phonological, lexico-semantic, morpho-syntactic, and pragmatic processing.

Objective

In our study, we aimed to investigate the language profile, especially connected speech, in early-stage PSP-RS and Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients without predominant speech or language disorders.

Methods

Language was assessed using the Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND); connected speech analysis was conducted from the picture description subtest.

Results

We enrolled 48 patients, 22 PD and 26 PSP (18 PSP-RS and 8 non-RS). PSP-RS patients presented an impairment in language domain, particularly regarding connected speech. PSP-RS patients presented worse performances than PD in different scores. The output of PSP-RS patients was characterized by a reduction in number of sentences and subordinates with respect to PD; PSP presented also more repaired sequences and phonological and lexico-semantic errors than PD. Number of sentences and number of subordinates of the picture description task were identified as predictors of PSP diagnosis.

Conclusion

In summary, the SAND scale is able to identify language impairment in PSP patients. The analysis of connected speech could highlight some important aspects of language impairment in PSP-RS patients, and it could be helpful in the differential diagnosis with PD.

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The corresponding author has full access to all data and material and can provide availability if needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical and Experimental Medicine Department, Neurology Unit, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy

    Eleonora Del Prete, Luca Tommasini, Sonia Mazzucchi, Giovanni Palermo, Cristina Pagni, Ubaldo Bonuccelli & Roberto Ceravolo

  2. Neurology Unit, Department of Medical Specialties, AOUP, Pisa, Italy

    Daniela Frosini & Gloria Tognoni

  3. Section of Statistics, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Riccardo Morganti

Authors
  1. Eleonora Del Prete
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  2. Luca Tommasini
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Correspondence to Roberto Ceravolo.

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Del Prete, E., Tommasini, L., Mazzucchi, S. et al. Connected speech in progressive supranuclear palsy: a possible role in differential diagnosis. Neurol Sci 42, 1483–1490 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04635-8

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