title: Neuropsychological asymmetry in Alzheimer's disease: verbal versus visuoconstructional deficits across stages of dementia.
abstract: The incidence of clinically apparent asymmetric profiles of neuropsychological deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients similar to those reported in the PET literature is currently unclear. This study investigated lateral neuropsychological asymmetry using principal component factor analysis in a sample of 153 patients diagnosed with probable AD. Using factor scores, patients were classified into groups exhibiting asymmetric or symmetric profiles of neuropsychological deficits. In the analysis of lateral asymmetry, 27.5% of patients were classified as asymmetric (10% verbally and 17% visuospatially). Consistent with reports of continued asymmetry beyond the mild dementia stage, asymmetry was exhibited in the mild, moderate, and severely demented groups. These findings of neuropsychological asymmetry across stages of dementia are consistent with the picture of significant neuropsychological heterogeneity in AD that has been emerging in the decade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strite
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Massman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Doody
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*