scholarly journals Strategies and Structures in Verbal Fluency Tasks in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

1997 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 133-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kessler ◽  
M. Bley ◽  
R. Mielke ◽  
E. Kalbe
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Reduced Word ◽  
Searching Strategy

Reduced word production in verbal fluency tasks is a sensitive indicator for brain damage. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are supposedly more affected in semantic than in letter fluency, which is probably resulting from partially destroyed structure of semantic knowledge, whereas in letter fluency tasks the patients can use phonemic cues for searching. In this study, 21 patients with probable AD according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria were examined on a verbal fluency task with F, A, S as initial letters, and a supermarket task. Performances were compared with a control group. Patients with AD showed lower word rate in all tasks than the control group. The difference was most significant in the supermarket task. Both groups produced most of the words in the supermarket task, followed by S, A and F. They both showed a percentuallikely distribution pattern of items into different supermarket categories. The items of the supermarket task were mostly ranged in clusters (patients with AD 70%, control group 83%). Patients with AD, however, on average, used fewer categories which they also filled with fewer items. In the F, A, S test, patients with AD mainly produced nouns, whereas the control group named nearly twice as many adjectives and verbs. In patients with AD word generation was highly correlated with degree of dementia, free recall of a verbal memory task, and the Token test. Low word production and qualitatively changed output in patients with AD might relate to an inefficient searching strategy, attentional deficits and/or degraded semantic knowledge.

scholarly journals Women have Farther to Fall: Gender Differences Between Normal Elderly and Alzheimer's Disease in Verbal Memory Engender Better Detection of Alzheimer's Disease in Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 654-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Chapman ◽  
Mark Mapstone ◽  
Margaret N. Gardner ◽  
Tiffany C. Sandoval ◽  
John W. McCrary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Large Drop ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Logical Memory ◽  
Wechsler Memory Scale ◽  
Immediate Recall

AbstractWe analyzed verbal episodic memory learning and recall using the Logical Memory (LM) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III to determine how gender differences in AD compare to those seen in normal elderly and whether or not these differences impact assessment of AD. We administered the LM to both an AD and a Control group, each comprised of 21 men and 21 women, and found a large drop in performance from normal elders to AD. Of interest was a gender interaction whereby the women's scores dropped 1.6 times more than the men's did. Control women on average outperformed Control men on every aspect of the test, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and learning. Conversely, AD women tended to perform worse than AD men. Additionally, the LM achieved perfect diagnostic accuracy in discriminant analysis of AD versus Control women, a statistically significantly higher result than for men. The results indicate the LM is a more powerful and reliable tool in detecting AD in women than in men. (JINS, 2011, 17, 654–662)

scholarly journals Hippocampal volume and retention in Alzheimer's disease

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOEL H. KRAMER ◽  
NORBERT SCHUFF ◽  
BRUCE R. REED ◽  
DAN MUNGAS ◽  
AN-TAO DU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Free Recall ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Cortical Gray Matter

This study tested the hypothesis that the hippocampus has a relatively specific role in retaining information over delays. Thirty-seven subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease were evaluated with a verbal memory task and structural MRI. Cortical gray matter but not hippocampal volume predicted immediate free recall. In contrast, hippocampal volume was the best predictor of how well information was retained over a delay, even after controlling for levels of immediate recall. Results suggest that the role of the hippocampus is relatively specific to the consolidation of new memories. (JINS, 2004, 10, 639–643.)

scholarly journals Abnormal Temporal Lobe Response in Alzheimer's Disease during Cognitive Processing as Measured by 11C-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose and PET

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Miller ◽  
M. J. de Leon ◽  
S. H. Ferris ◽  
A. Kluger ◽  
A. E. George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Positron Emission

Elderly controls and probable Alzheimer's disease patients underwent serial positron emission tomography (PET) studies during a baseline condition and while performing a verbal memory task. for the temporal lobes, all 7 Alzheimer patients demonstrated a relative shift in glucose metabolic rates to the right hemisphere during the memory condition relative to baseline, and 5 of 7 controls showed a shift to the left hemisphere. Baseline absolute regional metabolic rates replicate previous findings and were somewhat less useful than the memory challenge in differentiating patients from controls. These results indicate that a temporal lobe abnormality in Alzheimer's disease is related to memory performance.

Voice Markers of Lexical Access in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan J.G. Meilan ◽  
Francisco Martinez-Sanchez ◽  
Juan Carro ◽  
Nuria Carcavilla ◽  
Olga Ivanova
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Voice And Speech

Background: Recent studies have identified the correlation between dementia and certain vocal features, such as voice and speech changes. Vocal features may act as early markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite being present in non-pathological senescence and Mild Cognitive Impairment, especially in its amnesic subtype (aMCI), these voice- and speech-related symptoms are the first signs of AD. The purpose of this study is to verify whether these signs are related to deficits in lexical access, which appear early in AD. Method: Anomic deficits in persons with MCI and AD are assessed through tests on verbal memory, denomination by confrontation, and verbal fluency. In addition, an acoustic analysis of speech is conducted in a reading task to identify the acoustic parameters associated with the groups analyzed, and their relation to the degree of anomic impairment observed in each one of them. Results and Conclusions: The results show a direct relationship between the different acoustic parameters present in AD and the verbal fluency tests results.

scholarly journals Do Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Benefit From Prior-Knowledge in Associative Recognition Memory?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (04) ◽  
pp. 443-452
Author(s):  
Emma Delhaye ◽  
Adrien Folville ◽  
Isabelle Simoes Loureiro ◽  
Laurent Lefebvre ◽  
Eric Salmon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Associative Memory ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Healthy Older Adults

AbstractObjectives: Although the influence of prior knowledge on associative memory in healthy aging has received great attention, it has never been studied in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed at assessing whether AD patients could benefit from prior knowledge in associative memory and whether such benefit would be related to the integrity of their semantic memory. Methods: Twenty-one AD patients and 21 healthy older adults took part in an associative memory task using semantically related and unrelated word pairs and were also submitted to an evaluation of their semantic memory. Results: While participants of both groups benefited from semantic relatedness in associative discrimination, related pairs recognition was significantly predicted by semantic memory integrity in healthy older adults only. Conclusions: We suggest that patients benefitted from semantic knowledge to improve their performance in the associative memory task, but that such performance is not related to semantic knowledge integrity evaluation measures because the two tasks differ in the way semantic information is accessed: in an automatic manner for the associative memory task, with automatic processes thought to be relatively preserved in AD, and in a controlled manner for the semantic knowledge evaluation, with controlled processes thought to be impaired in AD. (JINS, 2019, 25, 443–452)

Clustering and Switching Strategies During Verbal Fluency Performance Differentiate Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1153-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Haugrud ◽  
Margaret Crossley ◽  
Mirna Vrbancic
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Memory Storage ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Switching Strategies

AbstractClustering and switching strategies during phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks as defined by Troyer et al. (1997), Abwender et al. (2001), and Lanting et al. (2009) were compared using archival data to determine which scoring procedures best differentiate healthy older adults (n = 26) from individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 26). Total word production showed the largest group difference, especially for semantic fluency. The AD group produced fewer switches when compared to the healthy control group, whereas the groups did not differ in cluster size. The AD group also accessed fewer novel semantic subcategories, presumably due to reduced access to semantic memory storage rather than lower processing speed. Clustering and switching scores on the phonemic task did not add information above total words produced, consistent with previous research indicating these variables are most informative in relation to semantic fluency. (JINS, 2011, 17, 1153–1157)

scholarly journals Mini Nutritional Assessment May Identify a Dual Pattern of Perturbed Plasma Amino Acids in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Window to Metabolic and Physical Rehabilitation?

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1845
Author(s):  
Roberto Aquilani ◽  
Alfredo Costa ◽  
Roberto Maestri ◽  
Matteo Cotta Ramusino ◽  
Antonia Pierobon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Nutritional Assessment ◽  
Mini Nutritional Assessment ◽  
Nutritional State ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Branched Chain

Conflicting results about alterations of plasma amino acid (AA) levels are reported in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The current study aimed to provide more homogeneous AA profiles and correlations between AAs and cognitive tests. Venous plasma AAs were measured in 54 fasting patients with AD (37 males, 17 females; 74.63 ± 8.03 yrs; 3.2 ± 1.9 yrs from symptom onset). Seventeen matched subjects without neurodegenerative symptoms (NNDS) served as a control group (C-NNDS). Patients were tested for short-term verbal memory and attention capacity and stratified for nutritional state (Mini Nutritional Assessment, MNA). Compared to C-NNDS, patients exhibited lower plasma levels of aspartic acid and taurine (p < 0.0001) and higher 3-methylhistidine (p < 0.0001), which were independent of patients’ MNA. In comparison to normonourished AD, the patients at risk of and with malnutrition showed a tendency towards lower ratios of Essential AAs/Total AAs, Branched-chain AAs/Total AAs, and Branched-chain AAs/Essential AAs. Serine and histidine were positively correlated with verbal memory and attention capacity deficits, respectively. Total AAs negatively correlated with attention capacity deficits. Stratifying patients with AD for MNA may identify a dual pattern of altered AAs, one due to AD per se and the other linked to nutritional state. Significant correlations were observed between several AAs and cognitive tests.

scholarly journals The Takeda Three Colors Combination Test: A Screening Test for Detection of Very Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinya Takeda ◽  
Kayo Tajime ◽  
Toshiatsu Taniguchi
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Screening Test ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Administration Time ◽  
Combination Test

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and is prevalent worldwide. It is expected that AD, for which aging is a risk factor, will increase in the future. Because early detection of AD has become increasingly important, promoting demand for screening tests with adequate sensitivity. In this study, we examined the usefulness of the Takeda Three Colors Combination Test (TTCC) for screening of the very mild AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).Methods. 154 senior persons participated in the research: 55 with very mild AD, 45 with aMCI, and 54 control group. The TTCC, which was a colored cards configuration memory task, was examined for sensitivity and specificity.Results. The sensitivity of the TTCC was 76% and 47% for the very mild AD and aMCI groups, and the specificity was 83%. Conducting TTCC (including instruction and evaluation) was accomplished within 2 minutes for all subjects.Conclusion. The TTCC is useful screening test for early detection of AD. Furthermore, administration time is short and requires no special training or skills. Thus, we believe the TTCC shows great potential for use as an AD screening test by a general practitioner in communities worldwide.

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