Alzheimer patients show a sensitivity decrement over time on a tonic alertness task.
Tonic alertness was investigated in Alzheimer patients and normal elderly subjects. Sensitivity and criterion shifts were investigated across 45 min of continuous testing using a high event rate test with very low target probability. Alzheimer patients showed a significant sensitivity decrement over time that was unrelated to dementia severity. These results suggest that tonic alertness is impaired by Alzheimer's disease even in its early stages.
Brazzelli
M
M
Neurology Department, Clinica del Lavoro Foundation, Medical Centre of Veruno (Novara), Italy.
Cocchini
G
G
Della Sala
S
S
Spinnler
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology