Perseveration in Alzheimer’s Disease

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 109 - 114
• Main Authors: Pekkala, S., Albert, M.L., Spiro III, A., Erkinjuntti, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.02.2008; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - physiology; Alzheimer Disease - epidemiology; Alzheimer's disease; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - physiology; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Errors of metabolism; Female; Humans; Lipids (lysosomal enzyme disorders, storage diseases); Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Original Research Article; Semantics; Severity of Illness Index; Verbal Behavior; Stuck-in-set perseveration; Recurrent perseveration; Continuous perseveration; Semantic verbal fluency task; Alzheimer's disease; Nervous system diseases; Cognitive disorder; Alzheimer disease; Cerebral disorder; Perseveration; Semantics; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000112476

Background/Aims and Methods: Perseveration is common in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We document the type and quantitative burden of perseveration as cognitive decline progresses from normal aging (n = 30) through mild AD (n = 20) to moderate AD (n = 20) by administering a semantic verbal fluency task. Results: We found perseveration to increase significantly with increasing severity of AD and different types of perseveration that distinguish the subject groups in a statistically significant manner. Recurrent and continuous perseverations appear early in AD. As the disease progresses in severity into moderate stage, the number of recurrent and continuous perseverations increases, and stuck-in-set perseverations emerge. Conclusion: The different types of perseveration are likely to reflect the progressive deterioration of different brain regions in AD.