%0 Journal Article
%T Language impairments in Alzheimer´s disease: What changes can be found between mild and moderate stages of the disease?
%A Ortiz KZ
%A De Lira JO
%A Minett TSC
%A Bertolucci PHF
%J Clinics (Sao Paulo)
%V 79
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 19
%M 38901132
%F 2.898
%R 10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100412
%X To investigate how language deteriorates over the Alzheimer's Disease course.<BR>A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out. 35 patients diagnosed with dementia due to AD using the NINCDS-ARDRA criteria and undergoing treatment for AD with a therapeutic dose of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors were assessed by the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE). The sample comprised 15 patients with mild AD (MMSE > 23, CDR = 0 or 0.5‒1.0) and 20 patients with moderate AD (MMSE = 13‒23, CDR = 2). The results for the 2 groups on all language tasks were compared.<BR>A statistically significant difference was found between the mild and moderate AD groups for total score on the BDAE (95% CI 47.10‒114.08, t = 5.0, DF = 21, p = 0.000*), as well as on several tasks involving oral and writing comprehension, language oral expression and writing.<BR>The study results showed major changes in the moderate stage. Also, the decline in language performance correlated with the worsening of dementia syndrome, independently of sociodemographic variables.