Which statement best describes the progression of primary progressive aphasia (PPA)?

• A. It begins with linguistic symptoms and gradually develops other dementia features.
• B. It begins with memory loss and remains memory-dominant.
• C. It is rapidly progressive with motor symptoms first.
• D. It is non-progressive language impairment.

Answer: (A)

PPA is a neurodegenerative condition in which language impairment is the first and most prominent problem. Early on, people struggle with speech production, word finding, naming, or understanding language, while memory and other cognitive areas stay relatively spared. Over time, as the disease slowly progresses, other cognitive and functional features can emerge, leading to broader dementia symptoms. This pattern—language-dominant decline that gradually widens to include more cognitive changes—best fits the statement.

The other possibilities don’t fit because memory loss is not the initial hallmark of PPA, the course is not rapidly motor-first, and PPA is inherently progressive rather than non-progressive.