Cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease: Interaction of cognitive domains

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) usually have deficits in several cognitive domains. In order to verify the nature of the relationship between these different domains and to test them rationally, it is necessary to perform comprehensive and quantified studies of neuropsychological functions with descriptive statistical methods. A battery of tests involving language, memory, agnosia, apraxia, and intellectual abilities was administered to 96 patients with probable AD. Following a principal component analysis (PCA), a six‐way solution identified the following factors: Abstract Mental Operations (Factor I), Orientation and Memory (Factor 2), Verbal Production (Factor 3), Visuoperceptual Abilities (Factor 4), Reading and Writing (Factor 5) and Constructional Praxis (Factor 6). A shorter neuropsychological battery constructed on the basis of these results was tested on 30 probable AD and 30 control subjects and has shown good discriminating abilities.

This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit: