Language Performance of Individuals at Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Purpose Evidence exists that changes in language performance may be an early indicator of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often a harbinger of dementing disease. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of language performance in individuals at risk for MCI by virtue of age and self-concern and its relation to performance on tests of memory, visuospatial function, and mental status. Method Eighty-three individuals 55 years or older were administered the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia ( Bayles & Tomoeda, 1993 ), a standardized battery with normative data from 86 healthy older adults (HOAs) and 86 individuals with Alzheimer's dementia, the most common dementing disease.

The effects of modified spaced-retrieval training on learning and retention of face-name associations by individuals with dementia.

The purpose of this project was to assess the effects of spaced-retrieval training (SRT) on learning of new and previously known associations by individuals with dementia in two treatment conditions: one in which the recall intervals were filled with activities unrelated to the information being learned (unrelated condition) and one in which the intervals were filled with related activities (related condition). Thirty-two individuals with mild to moderate dementia (30 with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; two with vascular dementia) participated in the study. On average, participants learned the associations in fewer than four sessions and retained the information for variable amounts of time, up to 6 weeks.

Effect of presentation modality on immediate and delayed recall in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Episodic memory (EM) deficits are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Story-retelling tasks are particularly sensitive to EM impairments and require participants to recall a short story immediately and after a delay. The purpose of this study was to determine whether presentation modality influences story recall in AD participants.

Verbal perseveration in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Perseveration has been described as a reliable indicator of disturbed brain function and is a common characteristic of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This article will begin with a review of recent theories that account for the phenomenon of perseveration, and data from a National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)--supported study further delineate the nature of perseveration among individuals with AD. The study investigated the frequency of verbal perseveration in individuals with AD in relation to task type, mental status, and performance on attention and memory tests.

A longitudinal study of neuropsychological change in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Neuropsychological changes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) were studied longitudinally.

Methods: Sixty-nine idiopathic PD patients, with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores falling within normal range, and 37 elderly control participants were given neuropsychological tests twice approximately two years apart.

Results: The PD group performed poorer than the control group on Semantic Fluency, Letter Fluency, Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, and Block Design at test time 1.

A longitudinal study of neuropsychological change in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Neuropsychological changes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) were studied longitudinally. Sixty-nine idiopathic PD patients, with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores falling within normal range, and 37 elderly control participants were given neuropsychological tests twice approximately two years apart. The PD group performed poorer than the control group on Semantic Fluency, Letter Fluency, Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, and Block Design at test time 1.

Improving the functioning of individuals with Alzheimer's disease: emergence of behavioral interventions.

Unlabelled: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative process that invariably results in diminished communicative functioning. Historically, it was thought that little could be done to improve the functioning of affected individuals. However, in recent years the value of behavioral interventions has increasingly been explored, resulting in a changing perspective.

Effects of working memory deficits on the communicative functioning of Alzheimer's dementia patients.

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease experience frontal lobe pathology and deficits in working memory processes are well documented. Less documented is how various working memory deficits impact communicative functioning. The performance data of individuals with mild and moderate Alzheimer's dementia on five tests of language comprehension and four tests of language expression are presented and discussed in the context of possible contributions from impaired working memory functions.