Do patients with Alzheimer's disease draw like young children? An exploratory study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that AD patients present a stepwise regression to their cognitive functioning from a mature adult to that of an infant.

Objectives: The present study aimed to compare Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients' and 4-10 year old children's drawing performance, taking into account that drawing is currently considered as a cognitive process and that AD manifests a severe cognitive impairment.

Methods: The sample consisted of 10 AD patients and 10 adult controls, as well as of 40 children, divided into 4 age groups (4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-years old). Participants were asked to draw from memory (a) six simple objects, (b) a man, and (c) a tree behind a house.

Results: Analysis showed an improvement with age in children's drawing performance, while controls' drawing scores were similar to those obtained by older children. On the contrary, drawing performance of AD patients significantly decreased into levels under that of the 4-year old children in drawing errors, or under that of the 8-year old children in drawing a man task and partial occlusion task.

Conclusions: The observed regression in AD patients' drawing performance is discussed in relation to the cognitive deficits accompanying the disease.