Language dysfunction in early- and late-onset possible Alzheimer's disease.
Disproportionate involvement of language has been claimed to be a distinguishing feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with onset before age 65. We tested this hypothesis in a group of 133 patients with possible AD by NINCDS criteria. Sixty-one had onset of symptoms prior to age 65; the remaining 72, at 65 or later. The two groups were well matched on overall dementia severity as measured by the Mini-Mental State Exam. Using standardized tests, we did not find any significant differences in the severity of language dysfunction between the two groups, particularly after controlling for greater attention/concentration deficits in the early-onset group. Previous reports of differences in language dysfunction between early- and late-onset AD may have been due to small sample sizes and nonstandardized testing.
Selnes
O A
OA
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Carson
K
K
Rovner
B
B
Gordon
B
B
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male