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S2–04–05: What are neuropsychological criteria for differential diagnosis of dementia syndromes
Author(s) -
Almkvist Ove
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2006.05.099
Subject(s) - frontotemporal dementia , dementia , neuropsychology , psychology , verbal fluency test , disease , cognition , frontotemporal lobar degeneration , vascular dementia , alzheimer's disease , executive dysfunction , neuropsychological assessment , medicine , psychiatry , pathology
Background: Neuropsychological characteristics are incompletely specified for dementia syndromes such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Huntington’s Disease (HD) as well as other syndromes. Objective: Specific neuropsychological features of AD, VaD, FTD, and HD were investigated in preclinical and clinical stages of disease course. Methods: Departing from familial types of AD, VaD, FTD and HD, cognitive function was described in three groups of subjects in each dementia syndrome, i.e., demented and nondemented mutation carriers as well as healthy non-carriers from the same families. Results: Specific patterns of cognitive dysfunction were found for AD, VaD, FTD, and HD in preclinical and clinical stages of disease. AD was characterized by marked impairment in episodic memory (learning and retention), whereas a relatively large impairment was found in cognitive speed and motor performance for VaD. FTD was particularly associated with difficulties in executive function. For HD, there was a pronounced deficit in verbal fluency. Comment: Research findings support the view that phenotypes of familial and sporadic types of dementia diseases are similar. Therefore, patterns of cognitive dysfunction in familial forms may help differentiate dementia syndromes in sporadic types. Conclusion: In future, revision, specification and differentiation of clinical diagnostic criteria for common dementing diseases seem to be possible.