Category Specific Impairments in Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type: A Study with a Probe Question Task

Authors: Gopal Jee S* and Rai A

Volume 3, Issue 1

Abstract

This study examined the processing and conceptualizing impairments in dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Fifteen mildly demented (age range 62-72 years, Mean age=68.40, SD=3.68 years) and ten moderately demented patients (age range 65-80 years, Mean=69.50, SD=4.28 years) screened on the basis of Hindi version of mini mental status examination, Mattis dementia scale and modified version of Wechsler memory scale and fifteen matched control subject answered the probe questions task which was classified in to living and man -made categories. In this probe task three questions were concerned with the perceptual attributes while other three questions were regarding functional aspects of the items. An analysis for living and man-made categories based on six probe questions task demonstrated man-made categories to be yielding more correct answer than living categories. Patients with DAT were more impaired on probe question task concern with living categories. The ANOVA for these categories also showed significant main effect of category (F1, 37 =24.04). The results about less impaired response for the objects belonging to man-made categories than object of living categories suggested that the perceptual attribute are more impaired than functional attributes. These results extend the theory that the perception of demented patients remains intact but the organization effort leading to articulate the attributes is severely affected.

Keywords: Semantic memory; Probe questions; Alzheimer’s disease; Living; Man-made

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