Language Disorders in Alzheimer’s Disease and Phatic Function

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is accompanied by progressive aphasia which intensifies the cognitive problems. The quality of the care given to the patient influences, however, the evolution of his language difficulties. The way the vulnerable person is aided, and the extent to which his efforts to make himself understood by his human environment are validated, contribute to preventing the development of a feeling of failure, a tendency to give up, and retrogressive tendencies. Repetition of interpersonal disqualifiers, care dispensed neglecting inter subjectivity, to the contrary encourages the patient to limit contact with his environment and so precipitate his language difficulties. Aphasia is thus linked to the insufficiency of human communication. The consequences of this disorder can be limited by taking into account the phatic language function to keep communication channels open. The human relationship is an encounter, an act of mutual identity-giving. Alzheimer-patient identity break-down is linked to cognitive troubles and to the failure of patients’ relationship attempts.