Narrativity Analysis in Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract
Context. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative illness with frequency of occurrence increasing with old age. If memory impairment setting progressively in is here an element associated upfront, other neurocognitive troubles are also associated, for example, language impairment which can degenerate into aphasia. Aim of the study. To evaluate semantic and textual impairment in AD. Methods. Populations
studied concerned 151 AD patients in consultation at Brest University Hospital. Certain sociodemographic data (sex, age, cultural levels) were collected as well as results from neuropsychological tests: (Folstein – MMSE; Dubois’s 5-word test; fluencies, Dubois’ s frontal test battery; Cornell’s scale for depression; Barbizet’s test, “The Lion’s tale”, for textual analysis. Demented patients were composed of 102 females and 49 males of average age 80.3 ± 6.91. All the tests, including the number of items memorized latterly in the Barbizet’s test are impaired all the more by Folstein’s test being altered. The formal fluency on demented patients is less impaired than the semantical lexical fluency test (scored respectively 5.74 ± 1. 09 versus 4.41 ± 2. 19;
t= 5.60, p<0.01). The studied demented cohort shows more intrusions (n=36) than inversions in the delayed Lion’s tale, whether for items or for episodes in which they occur (n=19). The regressive PLS analysis shows that for the explanation of the overall scores to do with “The lion’s tale”, calculated later, only attainment of lexical fluency has any notable influence (Regression coefficient CR=0.224) or, more accessorily, the cultural level (CR=0.12). Conclusions. Attainment of category fluency and patient culture levels have effects on narrativity.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s Disease, semiotics, semantics, textuality
References
[1] Thomas, P., Clement, J. P., Hazif-Thomas, C., et al. (2001) Family, Alzheimer’s disease and negative symptoms. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 16. pp. 192-202.
[2] Gewirth, L. R., Shindler, A. G., and Hier, D. B. (1984) Altered patterns of word associations in dementia and aphasia. Brain Lang. 21. pp. 307-317.
[3] Hassenstab, J., Monsell, S. E., Mock, C., et al. (2015) Neuropsychological markers of cognitive decline in persons with Alzheimer disease neuropathology. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 74. pp. 1086-1092.
[4] Reilly, J., Rodriguez, A. D., Lamy, M., et al. (2010) Cognition, language, and clinical-pathological features of non-Alzheimer’s dementias: an overview. J Commun Disord. 43. pp. 438-452.
[5] Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., and McHugh, P. R. (1975) ”Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 12. pp. 189-198.
[6] Tulving, E. (1995) Organisation of memory: quo vadis?. The cognitive neurosciences. Mass: MIT Press. M.S. Gazzaniga (Ed), Cambridge. pp. 839-847.
[7] Dubois, B. (2001) L’épreuve des cinq mots. Fiche technique. Neurologie-PsychiatrieGériatrie. pp. 40-42.
[8] Dubois, B., Slachevsky, A., Litvan, I., et al. (2000) The FAB: a Frontal Assessment Battery at bedside. Neurology. 55. pp. 1621-1626.
[9] Alexopoulos, G. S., Abrams, R. C., Young, R. C., et al. (1988) Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Biol Psychiatry. 23. pp. 271-284.
[10] Barbizet, J., and Truscelli, D. (1965) L’histoire du lion (considérations sur la fabulation). Semaine des Hôpitaux. 28. pp. 1688-1694.
[11] Tenenhaus, M., Esposito Vinzi, V., Chatelinc, Y.-M., et al. (2005) PLS path modeling. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis. 48. pp. 159-205.
[12] Hazif-Thomas, C., Reber, G., Bonvalot, T., et al. (2005) Syndrome dysexécutif et dépression tardive. Ann Med Psychol. 163. pp. 569–576.
[13] Elliott, R., Sahakian, B. J., Herrod, J. J., et al. (1997) Abnormal response to negative feedback in unipolar depression: evidence for a diagnosis specific impairment. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 63. pp. 74-82.
[14] Arroyo-Anllo, E. M., Beauchamps, M., Ingrand, P., et al. (2013) Lexical priming in Alzheimer’s disease and aphasia. Eur Neurol. 69. pp. 360-365.
[15] Lee, H. (2012) Langage et Maladie d’Alzheimer : Analyse Multidimensionnelle d’un Discours Pathologique. Thèse de doctorat. Université Paul-Valéry, Montpellier 3. https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel 00812618v1/document. pp. 198-199.
[16] Brainerd, C. J., and Reyna, V. F. (2001) Fuzzy-trace theory : Dual account in memory, reasoning, and cognitive neuroscience. Advances in Child Development and Behavior. 28. pp. 41-100.