Cognitive slowing and learning of target detection skills in pre-demented subjects.
Alzheimer's disease produces a generalized slowing of cognitive processing increasing with the progression of dementia. However little is known about this phenomenon in the pre-demented stages. Our purpose was to investigate cognitive slowing in pre-demented subjects and their ability to develop target detection skills while performing a cancellation task. The results on 16 pre-demented subjects and 32 matched controls show that cognitive slowing is already present 3 years before subjects fulfill dementia criteria, at a stage where errors are still not different between pre-demented and control subjects. Additionally, the two groups significantly improved their time performances all along the test suggesting that both groups including the pre-demented group were able to progressively acquire a target detection skill.
Amieva
Hélène
H
INSERM U593, Université de Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France. helene.amieva@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr
Rouch-Leroyer
Isabelle
I
Letenneur
Luc
L
Dartigues
Jean-François
JF
Fabrigoule
Colette
C
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time