Cognitive-Linguistic Disorders Associated with Alzheimer’s Dementia Characteristics

Alzheimer’s Disease defined:  “The most common cause of dementia among the elderly. It is marked by progressive, irreversible declines in memory, performance of routine tasks, time and space orientation, language and communication skills, abstract thinking, and the ability to learn and carry out mathematical calculations. Other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include personality changes and impairment of judgment.”(

Prevalence of AD  Accounts for 50%to 70% of all progressive dementias.  2 to 3 times more common in women than men  About 4 million adults in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease

Cognitive-Linguistic Warning Signs of AD  Memory Loss  Difficulty performing daily tasks  Language Difficulties  Disorientation of time and space  NORMAL AGING  Forgetting names/appointments  Occasional forgetfulness  Forgetting day of week

Cognitive Linguistic Warning Signs of AD cont.  Poor judgment  Problems w/ Abstract Thinking  Misplacing Things  Alterations of Moods/Behaviors  NORMAL  Making an Occasional Debatable Decision  Challenged w/ Balancing Checkbook  Misplacing Keys  Sometimes feeling sad or moody

Cognitive LinguisticWarning Signs of AD cont..  Personality Changes  Loss of Initiative  NORMAL  Slight personality changes w/ age  Sometimes weary of work/social demands

Early Stages  Decrease in functional memory skills  Disoriented in familiar locations  Increased anxiety  Difficulty with humor/sarcasm  Decrease in ability to attend to tasks  Perseveration  Patient generally denies the symptoms

Mid-State Alzheimer’s Dementia  Sometimes need occasional prompts/cues to complete personal care  Unsafe to leave the person unattended due to lack of judgment  Hallucinations may occur/state of confusion/Paranoia  Severe limit of words/Speech is empty  Sleep disturbances  Wandering/Pacing

Late/Final Stages  Memory is severely impaired  In late stage, the brain actually shrinks; the ventricles become larger and the sulci wider.  Loss of Speech: The person may be totally nonverbal, vocalizing only on occasion. –Some patients are mute or echolalic  Difficulty with eye contact  All basic functions lost. They are totally dependent on their caregivers.

General Info  “There is no standard length of time that the patient with Alzheimer’s disease remains in a particular stage. Some patients progress rapidly from one stage to the next; others remain in the early stages for decades before deteriorating to later stages.” (Caregiver-Information.com)

Sources Cited   Alzheimer’s Association  Brookshire, Robert H Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders. 6 th ed. Mosby.  Mike and Michelle information.com/Alzheimer.htmwww.caregiver- information.com/Alzheimer.htm  Love, Russell J. and Webb, Wanda G Neurology for the Speech-Language Pathologist. 4 th ed. pp  Ripich, Danielle N Handbook of Geriatric Communication Disorders. Pro-ed.