Abstract
Despite the clinical significance of topographical disorientation in Alzheimer's disease, it is not clear which cognitive spatial processes are primarily impaired. Here, we argue that a deficit in " mental frame syncing" between egocentric and allocentric spatial representations causes early manifestations of topographical disorientation in AD. Specifically, patients show impairment in translating from an allocentric hippocampal representation to an egocentric parietal one for the purpose of effective spatial orientation and navigation. We suggest that a break in " mental frame syncing" , underpinned by damage to the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex, may be a crucial cognitive marker both for early and differential diagnosis of AD. Identification of these spatial deficits could facilitate the development of early cognitive rehabilitation interventions and the possibility of identifying individuals most at risk for progression to AD during the preclinical stages.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 416-421 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Medical Hypotheses |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2013 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Getting lost in Alzheimer's disease : A break in the mental frame syncing. / Serino, Silvia; Riva, Giuseppe.
In: Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 80, No. 4, 04.2013, p. 416-421.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Getting lost in Alzheimer's disease
T2 - A break in the mental frame syncing
AU - Serino, Silvia
AU - Riva, Giuseppe
PY - 2013/4
Y1 - 2013/4
N2 - Despite the clinical significance of topographical disorientation in Alzheimer's disease, it is not clear which cognitive spatial processes are primarily impaired. Here, we argue that a deficit in " mental frame syncing" between egocentric and allocentric spatial representations causes early manifestations of topographical disorientation in AD. Specifically, patients show impairment in translating from an allocentric hippocampal representation to an egocentric parietal one for the purpose of effective spatial orientation and navigation. We suggest that a break in " mental frame syncing" , underpinned by damage to the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex, may be a crucial cognitive marker both for early and differential diagnosis of AD. Identification of these spatial deficits could facilitate the development of early cognitive rehabilitation interventions and the possibility of identifying individuals most at risk for progression to AD during the preclinical stages.
AB - Despite the clinical significance of topographical disorientation in Alzheimer's disease, it is not clear which cognitive spatial processes are primarily impaired. Here, we argue that a deficit in " mental frame syncing" between egocentric and allocentric spatial representations causes early manifestations of topographical disorientation in AD. Specifically, patients show impairment in translating from an allocentric hippocampal representation to an egocentric parietal one for the purpose of effective spatial orientation and navigation. We suggest that a break in " mental frame syncing" , underpinned by damage to the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex, may be a crucial cognitive marker both for early and differential diagnosis of AD. Identification of these spatial deficits could facilitate the development of early cognitive rehabilitation interventions and the possibility of identifying individuals most at risk for progression to AD during the preclinical stages.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84875401235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.031
DO - 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.031
M3 - Article
C2 - 23374425
AN - SCOPUS:84875401235
VL - 80
SP - 416
EP - 421
JO - Medical Hypotheses
JF - Medical Hypotheses
SN - 0306-9877
IS - 4
ER -