Abstract
During normal aging there are some cognitive and behavioral changes similar to those observed in a transitional state or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early onset dementia, making it challenging for health care professionals to reach an accurate and reliable diagnosis.ObjectiveThe current study examined the performance of two different groups of patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) on a neuropsychological test battery.MethodsTwenty-two AD patients from Brasília-DF (AD1) and thirty-four AD patients from Palmas-TO, northern Brazil (AD2), were selected and a short neuropsychological battery administered. To verify the reliability of these previous diagnoses of AD, both groups of patients were compared with a group of healthy controls.ResultsAD patients showed cognitive deficit but scores were lower for the AD2 group compared with the AD1 group considering the cut-off point. Notably, patients from the AD1 group were older (p=0.004) and had less formal education (p<0.001) than those from the AD2 group. Comparing different cognitive domains between AD groups, post hoc analysis showed that the AD1 group was characterized by deficits in episodic memory retrieval (p<0.001), semantic memory (p<0.001) and verbal fluency (p<0.001). In contrast, the AD2 group showed lower scores in attention (p=0.007), executive functioning (p<0.001) and working memory (p<0.001).ConclusionThis pattern suggests that the Palma group of patients had a neuropsychological profile that was inconsistent with AD. Although the results of this study have important clinical implications, the effects of age, education, and gender on cognitive performance should be explored further.
Highlights
The Brazilian population is aging and the number of elderly people in Brazil is estimated at over twenty million.[1]
The Brazilian Academy of Neurology (ABN)[4] recommends that the clinical diagnosis of dementia be based on the criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV).[5]
The aim of this study was to describe the global cognitive profile of two groups of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from two different regions of Brazil (Palmas, Tocantins state and Brasília, Federal District) and to compare the raw scores obtained by study participants with those of a group of elderly without dementia
Summary
The Brazilian population is aging and the number of elderly people in Brazil is estimated at over twenty million.[1]. The Brazilian Academy of Neurology (ABN)[4] recommends that the clinical diagnosis of dementia be based on the criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV).[5] In order to be diagnosed with dementia, the individual must present with prior decline in functioning as a result of memory im pairment, and show impairment of at least one cognitive function: language, agnosia, praxis, executive function or spatial function. These deficits must not occur exclusively during acute confusional syndrome or delirium pictures
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