title: The Genesis of Graphic Perseverations in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Perseveration is the involuntary production of iterative responses. This study explored graphic perseverative errors in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, to comprehend the neuropsychological correlates of this behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of graphic productions in 114 individuals with clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and in 63 individuals with clinical diagnosis of vascular dementia, who completed frontal-executive, visuo-spatial, visuo-constructional, and verbal memory tests. For assessing perseverative behavior, we considered recurrent perseverations (inappropriate re-drawing of a figure drawn in a previous trial) and continuous perseverations (inappropriate replication of the same figure or of its element within one trial) produced in a standard copying task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two or more graphic perseverative errors occurred in 66/114 individuals with Alzheimer's disease (57.9%) and in 31/63 individuals with vascular dementia (49.2%). Participants with moderate-to-severe dementia produced a significantly higher number of perseverations than individuals with mild dementia. Logistic regression revealed a significant relationship of graphic perseverations with frontal and visuo-constructive impairments, in both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Graphic perseverations are frequent in both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Frontal-executive defects can hamper inhibition of iterative graphic productions. Identification of graphic perseverations can be useful for detection and monitoring of frontal-executive impairments throughout the disease course in individuals with dementia.
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Caserta , Italy.
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Caserta , Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.affiliation: a Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology , Second University of Naples , Caserta , Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trojano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Frontal defect; Perseveration; Vascular dementia; Visuo-construction.