Comprendre le stade compensatoire de la maladie d'Alzheimer et agir pour promouvoir la cognition et la plasticité cérébrale.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease begins with a phase of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), characterized by the presence of minor symptoms that have little or no impact on functional independence. The study of patients with MCI has led to spectacular advances in understanding the prodrome of the disease. It has also produced a typical cognitive profile: an impairment of episodic memory, especially delayed recall and associative memory, deficit in executive functions or working memory and certain semantic problems. Recent studies have also examined compensatory processes that take place during the early phase of the disease. Functional magnetic resonance imagery indicates that the brain is more active in persons with MCI than in normal people. Some researchers have interpreted this hyperactivity as playing a compensatory role. Intervention studies have relied on cognitive training programs to promote adaptation and compensatory plasticity processes. These studies have shown that the memory and well-being of people with MCI could be improved by such programs. They have also revealed changes in the level of cerebral activation among persons with MCI who received this type of intervention. In Summary, studies in neuropsychology and in cognitive neuroscience have greatly contributed to characterizing this critical phase of Alzheimer's disease and offer avenues for intervention that could increase adaptation and improve the quality of life of people suffering from the disease. (PsycINFO Database Record