The Mini Linguistic State Examination (MLSE): A standardised tool to classify and monitor primary progressive aphasia

• DOI: 10.1002/alz.040853
• Publication Date: 2020-12-07T20:08:33Z
• Authors: Nikil Patel; Katie A. Peterson; Matthew L. Ralph; James B. Rowe; Karalyn Patterson; Stefano Cappa; Ruth Ingram; Peter Garrard

AbstractBackgroundLanguage assessment is critical in the diagnosis of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, in particular those presenting with progressive speech and language impairment such as the primary progressive aphasias (PPA). Current diagnostic criteria identify three main variants of PPA based on clinical and neuroimaging features: semantic variant PPA ‐ characterised by dramatically reduced ability to understand the meaning of words and objects; nonfluent variant PPA – featuring problems with the grammatical and phonetic aspects of language production; and logopenic variant PPA – characterised by a striking inability to repeat spoken sentences. Most currently utilised assessments of the heterogeneous language profiles of PPA are time‐consuming and not readily comparable across languages. Improved tools to screen, diagnose, and monitor these conditions will be essential to progress in the characterisation and treatments for brain diseases underlying PPAs. The aim of the current project is to develop and fully validate English and Italian versions of an abbreviated language assessment instrument, the Mini Linguistic State Examination (MLSE), which will be able to detect the differing patterns of linguistic deficit that characterise the three variants of PPA with complete equivalence between English and Italian versions.MethodsParticipants completed the MLSE test which included tasks of picture naming, word and sentence repetition, word and sentence comprehension, semantic association, reading, writing, and picture description.ResultsData were used to present contrasting characteristics of the MLSE performance in 61 patients with PPA (20 PNFA, 17 SD, and 24 LPA), and a matched control group (40 controls; aged: 45‐75 years).ConclusionsThe MLSE will provide a much‐needed short clinical tool to classify and monitor PPA. Additionally, the MLSE will be a template for further language‐specific versions.