title: Everyday memory deficits in very mild Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Memory complaints of patients sometimes are not verified via standard cognitive testing. Acquisition of information in everyday life requires memorization in complex three-dimensional environments. The authors mimicked this with a photorealistic virtual environment (VE). Memory for verbal material and spatial scenery was tested in healthy controls (HC) and patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD); mini-mental state evaluation (MMSE) 25.7 ± 1.8 (mean ± standard deviation). The number of memorized items increased to 90% in both classical list learning and for items memorized in VE in HC. In contrast, only 40% of items were recalled in list learning and 20% in VE in AD patients. Unlike the gender difference favoring female HC on list learning, performance was alike for both genders in VE. We conclude that verbal learning abilities in healthy elderly subjects are alike in standard settings and under virtual reality conditions. In AD patients memory deficits that are relevant to everyday life yet not detectable with list learning are unmasked in virtual reality. In future, this may aid objective appraisal of interventions with regard to their everyday relevance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Old Age Psychiatry, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Catherine N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Widmann
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Beinhoff
authors.forename: Matthias W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Riepe
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors