Uniform data set language measures for bvFTD and PPA diagnosis and monitoring.

Introduction: The Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD) includes a neuropsychological battery designed to assess the clinical features of FTLD, although much is unknown about its utility. We investigated FTLD-MOD and Uniform Data Set 3.0 (UDS) language tests for differential diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Methods: Linear regressions compared baseline performances in 1655 National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center participants (behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, n = 612), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA, n = 168), non-fluent/agrammatic variant PPA (nfvPPA, n = 168), logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA, n = 109), and controls (n = 581)). Sample sizes to detect treatment effects were estimated using longitudinal data.
Results: Among PPAs, the FTLD-MOD language tasks and UDS Multilingual Naming Test accurately discriminated svPPA. Number Span Forward best discriminated lvPPA; Phonemic:Semantic Fluency ratio was excellent for nfvPPA classification. UDS fluency and naming measures required the smallest sample size to detect meaningful change.
Discussion: The FTLD-MOD and UDS differentiated among PPA subtypes. UDS 3.0 measures performed best for longitudinal monitoring.
Competing Interests: BB has served as an investigator for clinical trials sponsored by Axovant and Biogen. He receives royalties from the publication of a book entitled Behavioral Neurology of Dementia (Cambridge Medicine, 2009, 2017). He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Tau Consortium. He receives research support from the NIH, the Mayo Clinic Dorothy and Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Lewy Body Dementia Program, and the Little Family Foundation. HJR has a consulting agreement Ionis Pharmaceuticals. JHK has provided consultation for Biogen. He helped develop the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System and receives royalties from Pearson Education, Inc., for helping to develop the California Verbal Learning Test. ALB receives research support from NIH, the Tau Research Consortium, the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia, Corticobasal Degeneration Solutions, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, and the Alzheimer's Association. He has served as a consultant for Aeton, Abbvie, Alector, Amgen, Arkuda, Ionis, Iperian, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Samumed, Toyama, and UCB; and has received research support from Avid, Biogen, BMS, C2N, Cortice, Eli Lilly, Forum, Genentech, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and TauRx.
(© 2021 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)