Abstract
This study explores the possibility to capitalize from a widely used semantic fluency test, in order to investigate aspects of topographical space representation, still poorly studied in neurodegenerative diseases. Twenty-six patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 13 healthy control (CTR) subjects underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline (T0) and about 2 years later (T1). The cities named during category verbal fluency test ("names of cities") were marked on a map, and the polygon perimeter obtained by joining the external points was computed. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, number of cities named and perimeter length were compared between T0 and T1, both within-group and between groups. MMSE score and number of cities significantly differed between AD and CTR both at T0 and at T1; perimeter length differed significantly only at T1. Between T0 and T1, all the three parameters significantly decreased in AD, while they were substantially unchanged in CTR. Besides a reduction of semantic verbal fluency, there seems to be a 'restriction' of mental geographic space representation already in mild AD. These findings should be confirmed and exploited by further ad hoc investigations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 198-201 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 1 2010 |
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Keywords
- Alzheimer's disease
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Semantic fluency test
- Semantic memory
- Topographical space representation
- Verbal fluency
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Ageing
- Gerontology
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
Cite this
Impaired access to semantic memory for the cognition of geographic space in Alzheimer's disease. / Mazzei, Debora; Brugnolo, Andrea; Dessi, Barbara; Girtler, Nicola; Famà, Francesco; Rizza, Elisa; Nobili, Flavio; Rodriguez, Guido.
In: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Vol. 50, No. 2, 01.03.2010, p. 198-201.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Impaired access to semantic memory for the cognition of geographic space in Alzheimer's disease
AU - Mazzei, Debora
AU - Brugnolo, Andrea
AU - Dessi, Barbara
AU - Girtler, Nicola
AU - Famà, Francesco
AU - Rizza, Elisa
AU - Nobili, Flavio
AU - Rodriguez, Guido
PY - 2010/3/1
Y1 - 2010/3/1
N2 - This study explores the possibility to capitalize from a widely used semantic fluency test, in order to investigate aspects of topographical space representation, still poorly studied in neurodegenerative diseases. Twenty-six patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 13 healthy control (CTR) subjects underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline (T0) and about 2 years later (T1). The cities named during category verbal fluency test ("names of cities") were marked on a map, and the polygon perimeter obtained by joining the external points was computed. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, number of cities named and perimeter length were compared between T0 and T1, both within-group and between groups. MMSE score and number of cities significantly differed between AD and CTR both at T0 and at T1; perimeter length differed significantly only at T1. Between T0 and T1, all the three parameters significantly decreased in AD, while they were substantially unchanged in CTR. Besides a reduction of semantic verbal fluency, there seems to be a 'restriction' of mental geographic space representation already in mild AD. These findings should be confirmed and exploited by further ad hoc investigations.
AB - This study explores the possibility to capitalize from a widely used semantic fluency test, in order to investigate aspects of topographical space representation, still poorly studied in neurodegenerative diseases. Twenty-six patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 13 healthy control (CTR) subjects underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline (T0) and about 2 years later (T1). The cities named during category verbal fluency test ("names of cities") were marked on a map, and the polygon perimeter obtained by joining the external points was computed. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, number of cities named and perimeter length were compared between T0 and T1, both within-group and between groups. MMSE score and number of cities significantly differed between AD and CTR both at T0 and at T1; perimeter length differed significantly only at T1. Between T0 and T1, all the three parameters significantly decreased in AD, while they were substantially unchanged in CTR. Besides a reduction of semantic verbal fluency, there seems to be a 'restriction' of mental geographic space representation already in mild AD. These findings should be confirmed and exploited by further ad hoc investigations.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Neurodegenerative diseases
KW - Semantic fluency test
KW - Semantic memory
KW - Topographical space representation
KW - Verbal fluency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=74449088488&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=74449088488&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.archger.2009.03.015
DO - 10.1016/j.archger.2009.03.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 19427044
AN - SCOPUS:74449088488
VL - 50
SP - 198
EP - 201
JO - Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
JF - Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
SN - 0167-4943
IS - 2
ER -