50

Surface dysgraphia-type written language disorders feature in the criteria used for diagnosing the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (s-PPA). However, a census of studies, describing the different patterns of s-PPA patients’ spelling difficulties highlights that, if the damage of the semantically mediated lexical route (in the sequential models) or semantic units (in a connectionist account) are frequently mentioned in literature, other types of damage can also be observed and then evolved during the course of the disease. Therefore, it remains essential that clinicians test all cognitive processes involved in written production, at different stages of the s-APP, in order to target the affected components in their treatment. Said components will be further explained in the second part of this article. Currently, there is no research on the efficiency of therapies aimed at treating written production disorders in s-PPA. Nonetheless, two sets of studies–hereby briefly mentioned–allowed us to elaborate some recommendations for therapy. The first set of studies investigated the treatment of fundamental processes involved in written production, offered to patients who–in the case of focal cerebral lesions and other types of PPA–present similar difficulties to s-PPA patients. The second set assessed treatments offered in cases of anomia in s-PPA, thereby identifying the determining factors in the efficiency of care provided to patients, which must consequently be considered in the elaboration of therapies aimed at treating difficulties in written production. Some therapeutic recommendations, taken from our literary review, will be assessed in a case study of which the summary will conclude this article.