Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T14:57:51.096Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Semantic interference deficits and the detection of mild Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment without dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2004

DAVID A. LOEWENSTEIN ,
AMARILIS ACEVEDO ,
CHERYL LUIS ,
THOMAS CRUM ,
WARREN W. BARKER  and
RANJAN DUARA
DAVID A. LOEWENSTEIN
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
AMARILIS ACEVEDO
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
CHERYL LUIS
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
THOMAS CRUM
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
WARREN W. BARKER
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
RANJAN DUARA
Affiliation:
Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Impairment in delayed recall has traditionally been considered a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, vulnerability to semantic interference may reflect early manifestations of the disorder. In this study, 26 mildly demented AD patients (mild AD), 53 patients with mild cognitive impairment without dementia (MCI), and 53 normal community-dwelling elders were first presented 10 common objects that were recalled over 3 learning trials. Subjects were then presented 10 new semantically related objects followed by recall for the original targets. After controlling for the degree of overall memory impairment, mild AD patients demonstrated greater proactive but equivalent retroactive interference relative to MCI patients. Normal elderly subjects exhibited the least amount of proactive and retroactive interference effects. Recall for targets susceptible to proactive interference correctly classified 81.3% of MCI patients and 81.3% of normal elderly subjects, outperforming measures of delayed recall and rate of forgetting. Adding recognition memory scores to the model enhanced both sensitivity (84.6%) and specificity (88.5%). A combination of proactive and retroactive interference measures yielded sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 96.2% in differentiating mild AD patients from normal older adults. Susceptibility to proactive semantic interference may be an early cognitive feature of MCI and AD patients presenting for clinical evaluation. (JINS, 2004, 10, 91–100.)

Keywords

Alzheimer's diseaseMemoryProactive interference
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , January 2004 , pp. 91 - 100
Copyright
© 2004 The International Neuropsychological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adams, I.M. (1991). Structural plasticity of synapses in Alzheimer's disease. Molecular Neurobiology, 5, 411–419.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Ashford, J.W., Kolm, P., Colliver, J., & Bekian, C. (1989). Alzheimer patient evaluation in the mini-mental state: Item characteristic curve analysis. Journals of Gerontology, 44, P139–P146.Google Scholar
Bell, E.E., Chenery, H.J., & Ingram, J. (2000). Strategy-based semantic priming in Alzheimer's dementia. Aphasiology, 14, 949–965.Google Scholar
Bellenville, S., Peretz, I., Arguin, M., Fontaine, F., Lussier, I., Goulet, P., & Joanette, Y. (1992). Assessment of semantic processing in patients with Alzheimer type dementia. The release-of-proactive-interference paradigm. Neuropsychology, 6, 29–41.Google Scholar
Beatty, W.W., Testa, J.A., English, S., & Winn, P. (1997). Influences of clustering and switching on the verbal fluency performance of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 4, 273–279.Google Scholar
Benton, A.L. & Hamsher, K. (1977). Multilingual aphasia examination. Iowa City: University of Iowa.
Binnetti, G., Magni, E., Padovani, A., & Cappa S.F. (1995). Release from proactive interference in early Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychologia, 33, 379–384.Google Scholar
Black, S.E. (1999). Can SPECT predict the future for mild cognitive impairment? Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 26, 4–6.Google Scholar
Buschke, H., Sliwinski, M.J., Kuslanski, G., & Lipton, R.B. (1997). Diagnosis of early dementia by the Double Memory Test: Encoding specificity improves diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Neurology, 48, 989–997.Google Scholar
Casino, S., Maquet, P., Doland, R.J., & Rugg, M.D. (2002). Brain activity underlying encoding and retrieval of source memory. Cerebral Cortex, 12, 1048–1056.Google Scholar
Celsis, P. (2000). Age-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment or preclinical Alzheimer's disease? Annals of Medicine, 32, 6–14.Google Scholar
Christensen, H., Kopelman, M.D., Stanhope, N., Lorentz, L., & Owen, P. (1998). Rates of forgetting in Alzheimer dementia. Neuropsychologia, 36, 547–557.Google Scholar
Cushman, L.A., Como, P.G., Booth, H., & Caine, E.D. (1988). Cued recall and release from proactive interference in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 10, 685–692.Google Scholar
Dalla Barba, G., Nedjam, Z., & Dubois, B. (1999). Confabualtion, executive functions and source memory in Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 16, 385–398.Google Scholar
Delis, D.C., Kramer, J.H., Kaplan, E., & Ober, B.A. (1987). California Verbal Learning Test: Adult Version. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Delis, D.C., Massman, P.J., Butters, N., Salmon, D.P., Cermak, L.S., & Kramer, J.H. (1991). Profiles of demented and amnesic patients on the California Verbal Learning Test: Implications for the assessment of memory disorders. Psychological Assessment, 3, 19–26.Google Scholar
De Rosa, E., Hasslemo, M.E., & Baxter, M.G. (2001). Contribution of the basal cholinergic forebrain to proactive interference from stored order memories following associate learning in rats. Behavioural Neuroscience, 115, 314–327.Google Scholar
Folstein, M., Folstein, S., & McHugh, P. (1975). Mini-mental state. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the physician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.Google Scholar
Fuld, P.A. (1981). Fuld Object-Memory Evaluation. Woodale, IL: Stoelting Company.
Goodglass, H. & Kaplan, E. (1983). The assessment of aphasia and related disorders (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger.
Hasslemo, M.E. & Wyble, B.P. (1997). Free recall and recognition in a network model of the hippocampus. Behavioral Brain Research, 89, 1–34.Google Scholar
Helkela, E.L., Laulumaa, V., Soininen, H., & Reikkinen, P.J. (1989). Different pattern of episodic and semantic memory in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease with dementia. Neuropsychologia, 27, 1241–1248Google Scholar
Locasio, J.J., Growdon, J.H., & Corkin, S. (1995). Cognitive test performance in detecting, staging, and tracking Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Neurology, 52, 1087–1099.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., Acevedo, A., Schram, L., Ownby, R., White, G., Mogosky, B., Barker, W.W., & Duara, R. (2003). Semantic interference in mild Alzheimer's disease: Preliminary findings. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 11, 252–255.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., Argüelles, T., Argüelles, S., & Linn-Fuentes, P. (1994). Potential cultural bias in the neuropsychological assessment of the older adult. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 16, 623–629.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., Argüelles, T., Barker, W.W., Schram, L., Ownby, R., Acevedo, A., Mogosky, B., White, G., & Duara, R. (2001). The utility of a modified object memory test in distinguishing between three different age groups of Alzheimer's disease patients and normal controls. Journal of Mental Health and Aging, 7, 317–324.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., Barker, W.W., Harwood, D.G., Luis, C., Acevedo, A., Rodriguez, F., & Duara, R. (2000). Utility of a modified Mini-Mental State Examination with extended delayed recall in screening for mild impairment ending committed dwelling. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15, 434–440.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., D'Lia, L., Guterman, A., Eisdorfer, C., Wilkie, F., LaRue, A., Mintzer, J., & Duara, R. (1991). The occurrence of different intrusive errors in patients with Alzheimer's disease, multiple cerebral infarctions and major depression. Brain and Cognition, 16, 104–117.Google Scholar
Loewenstein, D.A., Wilkie, F., Eisdorfer, C., Berkowitz, B., & Duara, R. (1989). An analysis of intrusive error types in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Developmental Neuropsychology, 5, 115–126.Google Scholar
Masur, D.M., Sliwinski, M., Lipton, R.B., Blau, A.D., & Crystal, H.A. (1994). Neuropsychological prediction of dementia and the absence of dementia in healthy elderly persons. Neurology, 44, 1427–1432.Google Scholar
McKelvey, R., Bergman, H., Stern, J., Rush, C., Zehirney, G., & Chertkow, H. (1999). Lack of prognostic significance of SPECT abnormalities in non-demented elderly subjects with memory loss. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 26, 23–28.Google Scholar
McDonald, C.R., Bauer, R., Russell, M., Grande, L., Gilmore, R., & Roper, S. (2001). The role of the frontal lobes in memory. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 16, 571–585.Google Scholar
McKhann, G., Drachman, D., Folstein, M., Katzman, R., Price, D., & Stadlan, E.M. (1984). Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: Report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services task force on Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, 34, 939–944.Google Scholar
Mesulam, M. (2000). A plasticity-based theory of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 924, 42–52.Google Scholar
Money, E.A., Kirk., R.C., & McNaughton, N. (1992). Alzheimer's dementia produces a loss of discrimination but no increase in rate of memory decay in delayed matching to sample. Neuropsychologia, 30, 133–143.Google Scholar
Morris, J.C. (1993). The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR): Current versions and scoring rules. Neurology, 43, 2412–2414.Google Scholar
Morris, J.C., Storandt, M., Miller, J.P., McKeel, D.W., Price, D.L., Rubin, E.H., & Berg, L. (2001). Mild cognitive impairment represents early stage Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Neurology, 58, 397–405.Google Scholar
Multhap, K. & Balota, D.A. (1997). Generation effects and source memory in healthy older adults and in adults with dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neuropsychology, 11, 382–391.Google Scholar
Peinado-Manzano, M.A. (1994). Amygdala, hippocampus and associative memory in rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 61, 175–190.Google Scholar
Petersen, R., Doody, R., Kurz, A., Mohs, R.C., Morris, J.C., Rabins, P.V., Richie, K., Rosser, M., Thal, L., & Winblad, B. (2001). Current concepts in mild cognitive impairment. Archives of Neurology, 58, 1985–1992.Google Scholar
Petersen, R.C., Smith, G.E., Waring, S.C., Ivnik, R.J., Kokmen, E., & Tangalos, E.G. (1997). Aging, memory, and mild cognitive impairment. International Psychogeriatrics, 9, 65–69.Google Scholar
Petersen, R.C., Smith, G.E., Waring, S.C., Ivnik, R.J., Tangalos, E.G., & Kokmen, E. (1999). Mild cognitive impairment: Clinical characterization and outcome. Archives of Neurology, 56, 303–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reitan, R.M. (1958). Validity of the Trail Making Test as an indicator of brain damage. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 19, 199–206.Google Scholar
Ritchie, K. & Touchon, R.M. (2000). Mild cognitive impairment in conceptual basis and current nosological status. Lancet, 355, 225–228.Google Scholar
Rouleau, I., Imbault, H., Lamframboise, M., & Bédard, M.A. (2001). Pattern of intrusions in verbal recall: Comparison of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and frontal lobe dementia. Brain and Cognition, 46, 244–249.Google Scholar
Salmon, D.P., Heindel, W.C., & Lange, K. (1999). Differential decline in word generation from phonemic and semantic categories during the course of Alzheimer's disease: Implications for the integrity of semantic memory. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 5, 692–703.Google Scholar
Schram, L., Rubert, M., & Loewenstein, D.A. (1995). A qualitative analysis of intrusive errors in Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 10, 256–263.Google Scholar
Shenaut, G.K. & Ober, B.A. (1996). Methodological control of semantic priming in Alzheimer's disease. Psychology and Aging, 11, 443–448.Google Scholar
Sherwin, B.B. (2000). Mild cognitive impairment: Potential pharmacological treatment options. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 48, 431–441.Google Scholar
Simone, P.M. & Baylis, G.C. (1997). Selective attention in a reaching task: Effects of normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 23, 595–608.Google Scholar
Smith, M.L., Leonard, G., Crane, J., & Milner, B. (1995). The effect of frontal-lobe or temporal-lobe lesions to susceptibility to interference in spatial memory. Neuropsychologia, 33, 275–285.Google Scholar
Spieler, D.H., Balota, D.A., & Faust, M.A. (1996). Stroop performance in healthy younger and older adults and in individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 22, 461–479.Google Scholar
Taylor, E.M. (1959). Psychological appraisal of children with cerebral deficits. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Tröster, A.I., Butters, N., Salmon, D., Cullum, C.M., Jacobs, D., Brandt, J., & White, R.F. (1993). The diagnostic utility of savings scores: Differentiating Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease with the logical memory and visual reproduction tests. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 5, 773–788.Google Scholar
Tuokko, H. & Frerichs, R.J. (2000). Cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND): Longitudinal studies, the findings, and the issues. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 4, 504–525.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1997). Wechsler Adult Memory Scale Scale–3rd Edition. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Welsh, K., Butters, N., Hughes, J., Mohs, R., & Heyman, A. (1991). Detection of abnormal memory decline in cases of Alzheimer's disease using CERAD neurological measures. Archives of Neurology, 48, 278–281.Google Scholar
Wolf, H., Grunwald, M., Ecke, G.M., Zedlick, D., Bettin, S., Dannenberg, C., Dietrich, J., Eschrich, K., Arendt, T., & Gertz, H.J. (1998). The prognosis of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. Journal of Neural Transmission, 54 (Suppl.), 31–50.Google Scholar