[Behavioral factors and sensorial identificatory deficits as predictors for dementia of the Alzheimer's type].
BACKGROUND
Several behavior factors had been studied as associated to Alzheimer, but not its prediction power.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether five behavior variables (psychosocial introversion, coping deficit, apathy, demotivation and perception blockade) could predict the beginning of dementia in mild cognitive impairment initially non dementia cases, after a six-year follow-up period.


METHODS
197 mild cognitive impairment non dementia cases (mean: 72.6 years) and an equal number age, gender, schooling and familial income matched normal cases (mean: 73.0 years) were selected to participate from an university data base of older than 60 year people initiated at 1994 for epidemiologic multifactorial studies. Behavior variables were recovery by means of a protocol, applied directly or with the help of relative caregivers, and designed under the hypothetical theory of Alzheimer as a conclusion of a progressive psychosocial capsuletion's process.


RESULTS
Introversion, coping deficit, apathy and demotivation appear as frequently and progressive but not necessarily simultaneously or unchained factors, but with possibility of reversion or taking a different way. Perception blockade (three identificatory component of senses impairment at least) seems like the irreversible phase in the process, with near 100% of previous detection for the final diagnostic of Alzheimer's cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Perception blockade, in spite of its great fluctuation and individual variations, appears as more objective, easy, non invasive and firmly as reveille and predictor of this dementia, and we suggest that it appears as the immediate cause of the wide reported histopathological disorders by way of a disintegration of neural net owing to the normal reinforcement deficit.
Sánchez-de Machado
L M
LM
Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina. stopalz@gmail.com
Rubano-Martínez
M C
MC
García-Caamiña
J D
JD
Cantero-Arias
C R
CR
Gárate-Delgado
L M
LM
Florentín-Ocampo
B R
BR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales