Neuropsychological subgroups of dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Neuropsychological aspects of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT) was considered using the scores from the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) portion of the Cambridge Index of Mental Disorders in the Elderly (CAMDEX). CAMCOG scores for 51 DAT patients and 79 normal subjects were cluster analyzed. Results showed that the CAMCOG was effective in separating normal from demented subjects. The four subgroups of DAT patients differed more in "level" of impairment than for specific neuropsychological function. However, each level was characterized by losses in specific neuropsychological functions. Higher functioning groups exhibited greatest losses in memory skills, while the lowest functioning group showed greater loss of language skills.