Symptom 5. Diminished Spoken Vocabulary: The Linguistic Decline in PNFA
Another major symptom exhibited by individuals with PNFA is the progressive reduction of spoken vocabulary. This isn’t about the occasional word-finding difficulty that most of us experience; it’s a significant and consistent decrease in the range of words a person uses while speaking.
Individuals with PNFA might frequently use general words like ‘thing’ or ‘stuff,’ or they may repeatedly use certain words or phrases, thereby limiting their vocabulary. They may also exhibit circumlocution, a speech pattern where they describe a word or concept instead of naming it directly, indicative of their struggle to access the precise word from their mental lexicon.
Initially, these changes may be subtle, possibly overlooked as age-related changes or stress. However, unlike typical word-finding difficulties, PNFA-induced vocabulary decline does not remain static. It progressively worsens, rendering the person’s speech increasingly limited and non-specific over time.
This symptom alone does not confirm a diagnosis of PNFA but, when seen in conjunction with other symptoms, it adds significant weight to the possibility. Monitoring a person’s language use over time can help detect this symptom and highlight the need for professional evaluation. (5)
