Back to Search Start Over

Assessment of verbal and visuospatial working memory in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia

Authors :
Roy P.C. Kessels
Anouk Overbeek
Zita Bouman
Source :
Dementia & Neuropsychologia, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 301-305
Publisher :
Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento.

Abstract

In addition to episodic memory impairment, working memory may also be compromised in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's dementia (AD), but standard verbal and visuospatial span tasks do not always detect impairments. Objective: To examine whether more complex verbal and visuospatial working memory tasks result in more reliable impairment detection. Methods: The Digit Span (forward, backward and sequencing), Spatial Span (forward and backward) and Spatial Addition test from the Wechsler batteries were administered to MCI and AD patients and performance compared to healthy older adult controls. Results: Results showed that both the MCI and AD patients had impaired performance on the Spatial Addition test. Both groups also had impaired performance on all three Digit Span conditions, but no differences were found between forward and backward conditions in any of the groups. The sequencing condition differed from the backward condition only in the AD group. Spatial Span performance was impaired in AD group patients but not in MCI patients. Conclusion: Working memory deficits are evident in MCI and AD even on standard neuropsychological tests. However, available tests may not detect subtle impairments, especially in MCI. Novel paradigms tapping the episodic buffer component of working memory may be useful in the assessment of working memory deficits, but such instruments are not yet available for clinical assessment.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19805764
Volume :
9
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Dementia & Neuropsychologia
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.b8501d5829a4b169f97ab865dfe1aa9
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-57642015dn93000014