Consensual recommendations for the diagnostic criteria of three variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) were published in 2011. Since their publication, these recommendations were the object of criticism, which has recently led to the proposition of their revision. This article gives a description of the criteria that preceded the consensual criteria currently in use, and presents the different limits and controversies regarding the description of each PPA variant's language profile. These controversies will be examined in terms of the description of each variant's central manifestations, their differential diagnosis, the links between each clinical entity and its underlying pathology, and the evolution of the language profile. Lastly, this article offers perspectives regarding language evaluation in PPA that have several implications for clinical practice and research.
Keywords: diagnosis; language; primary progressive aphasia.