Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Incidence of primary progressive aphasia in Salento, Italy: a population-based study

Published inAlzheimer's research & therapy, vol. 18, 120
First online date2026-05-01
Abstract

Introduction: Data on the population-based incidence of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), including all variants and Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker profiles, are scarce.

Methods: We conducted a 4-year, prospective, population-based study in the Salento region of Southern Italy, identifying incident PPA cases through a territory-wide surveillance network. Clinical diagnoses followed consensus criteria; AD pathology was defined by positive CSF or amyloid PET biomarkers.

Results: We identified 35 incident PPA cases, yielding an overall incidence of 1.14 (95% CI, 0.79-1.59) per 100,000 person-years. Incidence peaked in the early 60s for men and in the late 70s for women. The logopenic variant was most frequent and invariably associated with AD pathology. Approximately 20% of nonfluent and semantic cases, and the majority unclassified cases, also showed AD biomarkers.

Discussion: These findings provide real-world epidemiological evidence and underscore the need for systematic biomarker assessment in PPA to guide diagnosis, prognosis, and access to emerging therapies.

Keywords
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Epidemiology
  • Incidence
  • Population-based study
  • Primary progressive aphasia
Funding
  • Regione Puglia [D.G.R. 1284/2022]
Citation (ISO format)
URSO, Daniele et al. Incidence of primary progressive aphasia in Salento, Italy: a population-based study. In: Alzheimer’s research & therapy, 2026, vol. 18, p. 120. doi: 10.1186/s13195-026-02046-z
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Appendix - STROBE Statement
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Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttps://link.springer.com/10.1186/s13195-026-02046-z
Journal ISSN1758-9193
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