A comparison of language features between patients with Alzheimer disease and their healthy counterparts

Abstract

Introduction: Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a neurological disorder associated with the progressive damage of memory and problems in communication and language skills. The examination of language in AD was less studied; therefore, this research aimed to compare linguistic characteristics between AD patients and their healthy counterparts. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 patients with AD (16 women and 16 men) with an Mean±SD age of 77±7.41 years, and their healthy peers (19 women and 13 men) with an Mean±SD age of 81.34±6.04 years participated in this study. Both groups were evaluated with the Persian bedside version of western aphasia battery. The results were assessed by the Independent t test. The significance level was set at less than 0.05. Results: The mean scores of each test and the general criterion for the adversity quotient index were significant between the two groups (P<0.001). The highest difference was in continuous and naming indices, and the least difference was seen in the repeat index. Conclusion: The AD considerably affects all oral language skills; therefore, patients are significantly weaker than healthy individuals.