Kognitívna porucha (KP) po ischemickej cievnej mozgovej príhode (CMP) je častým fenoménom. U niektorých pacientov môže KP pretrvávať aj dlhý čas po prekonanej CMP, čo sa v anglickej literatúre označuje ako PCSI - post stroke cognitive impairment. Ide o osobitnú nozologickú jednotku, ktorú je potrebné začať diagnostikovať už počas hospitalizácie, no definitívnu diagnózu je možné vykonať až následne kontrolným vyšetrením kognitívnych funkcií s odstupom šesť mesiacov od CMP. Článok prináša aktuálny prehľad o diagnostike, predikcii a terapii PSCI ako osobitnej nozologickej jednotky.
Cognitive impairment (CI) after stroke is a frequent phenomenon. In some patients, CI can persist for a long time after overcoming stroke, which is referred to in the English literature as PCSI - post stroke cognitive impairment. It is a special nosological entity that needs to be diagnosed already during hospitalization, but a definitive diagnosis can only be made subsequently by a control examination of cognitive functions six months after stroke. The following article provides an up-to-date overview of the diagnosis, prediction and therapy of PSCI as a special nosological unit.
- MeSH
- cévní mozková příhoda * diagnóza komplikace patofyziologie MeSH
- demence diagnóza etiologie MeSH
- diferenciální diagnóza MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * diagnóza etiologie farmakoterapie patofyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- management nemoci MeSH
- neurozobrazování klasifikace metody MeSH
- testy pro posouzení mentálních funkcí a demence MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the relationship between speech and language impairment and outcome in a multicenter cohort of isolated/idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). METHODS: Patients with iRBD from 7 centers speaking Czech, English, German, French, and Italian languages underwent a detailed speech assessment at baseline. Story-tale narratives were transcribed and linguistically annotated using fully automated methods based on automatic speech recognition and natural language processing algorithms, leading to the 3 distinctive linguistic and 2 acoustic patterns of language deterioration and associated composite indexes of their overall severity. Patients were then prospectively followed and received assessments for parkinsonism or dementia during follow-up. The Cox proportional hazard was performed to evaluate the predictive value of language patterns for phenoconversion over a follow-up period of 5 years. RESULTS: Of 180 patients free of parkinsonism or dementia, 156 provided follow-up information. After a mean follow-up of 2.7 years, 42 (26.9%) patients developed neurodegenerative disease. Patients with higher severity of linguistic abnormalities (hazard ratio [HR = 2.35]) and acoustic abnormalities (HR = 1.92) were more likely to develop a defined neurodegenerative disease, with converters having lower content richness (HR = 1.74), slower articulation rate (HR = 1.58), and prolonged pauses (HR = 1.46). Dementia-first (n = 16) and parkinsonism-first with mild cognitive impairment (n = 9) converters had higher severity of linguistic abnormalities than parkinsonism-first with normal cognition converters (n = 17). INTERPRETATION: Automated language analysis might provide a predictor of phenoconversion from iRBD into synucleinopathy subtypes with cognitive impairment, and thus can be used to stratify patients for neuroprotective trials. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:530-543.
BACKGROUND: Semantic and short-term episodic memory are impaired in some brain disorders including Alzheimer's disease. OBJECTIVE: Development and validation of an almost self-administered, but cognitively demanding four-minute test identifying very mild cognitive impairment (vMCI). METHODS: The innovative hedgehog PICture Naming and Immediate Recall (PICNIR) consisted of two parts. The first task was to write down the names of 20 black-and-white pictures to evaluate long-term semantic memory and language. The second task involves immediate recall and writing the names of as many previously named pictures as possible in one minute. The PICNIR is assessed using the number of naming errors (NE) and correctly recalled picture names (PICR). The PICNIR and a neuropsychological battery were administered to 190 elderly individuals living independently in the community. They were divided into those with vMCI (n = 43 with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) 24 ± 3 points) and sociodemographically matched cognitively normal (CN) individuals (n = 147 with MoCA 26 ± 3). Both subgroups had predicted mean Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 28-29 points. RESULTS: Compared to CN, vMCI participants made more NE (0.3 ± 0.6 versus 0.6 ± 0.9; p = 0.02) and recalled fewer PICR (8.9 ± 2.2 versus 6.8 ± 2.2; p < 0.000001). Discriminative validity was satisfactory using the area under the ROC curve (AUC): 0.76 for PICR, 0.74 for MoCA, 0.67 for MoCA-five-word recall, and 0.59 for NE. The AUCs of PICR and MoCA were comparable and larger than those of MoCA five-point recall or NE. Logical Memory scores, RAVLT scores, Digit symbol, and animal fluency correlated with PICR. CONCLUSIONS: The picture-based PICNIR is an ultra-brief, sensitive cognitive test valid for assessing very mild cognitive impairment. Its effectiveness should be validated for other languages and cultures.
- MeSH
- epizodická paměť * MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * diagnóza psychologie MeSH
- krátkodobá paměť fyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- neuropsychologické testy * statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- rozpomínání * fyziologie MeSH
- sémantika MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- testy pro posouzení mentálních funkcí a demence statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Uniform Data Set (UDS) 2 battery in distinguishing between individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) attributable to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD) and those with MCI due to other causes (MCI-nonAD), based on contemporary AT(N) biomarker criteria. Despite the implementation of the novel UDS 3 battery, the UDS 2 battery is still used in several non-English-speaking countries. METHODS: We employed a cross-sectional design. A total of 113 Czech participants with MCI underwent a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, including cerebrospinal fluid biomarker evaluation, resulting in two groups: 45 individuals with prodromal AD (A+T+) and 68 participants with non-Alzheimer's pathological changes or normal AD biomarkers (A-). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed with neuropsychological test scores and demographic variables as predictors and AD status as an outcome. Model 1 included UDS 2 scores that differed between AD and non-AD groups (Logical Memory delayed recall), Model 2 employed also Letter Fluency and Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). The two models were compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves. We also created separate logistic regression models for each of the UDS 2 scores. RESULTS: Worse performance in delayed recall of Logical Memory significantly predicted the presence of positive AD biomarkers. In addition, the inclusion of Letter Fluency RAVLT into the model significantly enhanced its discriminative capacity. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that using Letter Fluency and RAVLT alongside the UDS 2 battery can enhance its potential for differential diagnostics.
- MeSH
- Alzheimerova nemoc * diagnóza mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- amyloidní beta-protein mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- biologické markery * mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- diferenciální diagnóza MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * diagnóza etiologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- neuropsychologické testy * normy statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- proteiny tau mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Úvod: Včasná detekce pomocí platných screeningových nástrojů může představovat příležitost k odhalení mírné kognitivní poruchy (mild cognitive impairment; MCI) jako rizikového faktoru demence a tím zpomalit progresi kognitivního poklesu u starších dopělích. Cíl: Cílem této studie bylo vyhodnotit Trail Walking Test (TWT) k detekci pravděpodobné MCI (probable MCI; pMCI) u starších jedinců a zhodnotit jeho použitelnost jako screeningového nástroje. Metodika: Studie se zúčastnilo 61 osob rozdělených pomocí Montrealského kognitivního testu (Montreal Cognitive Assessment; MoCA) do tří skupin: starší dospělí s intaktními kognitivními funkcemi (ICA, MoCA > 25); starší dospělí s pMCI (MoCA ≤ 25); a kontrolní skupina mladých jedinců (healthy young adults; HYA). Všichni účastníci absolvovali Trail Making Test a tři varianty TWT se zvyšující se složitostí. Plocha pod křivkou (area under the curve; AUC), senzitivita, specificita a Youdenovy indexy byly použity k vyhodnocení schopnosti každého testu předpovídat projev pravděpodobné mírné kognitivní poruchy u starších jedinců. Na korekciu optimizmu predikcie bola vykonaná interná validácia AUC a vypočítala sa príslušná korigovaná AUC (AUCVAL). Výsledky: Skupina pMCI dosáhla významně horších výsledků ve všech hodnocených variantách TMT a TWT než skupiny ICA a HYA (p < 0,001). Zjistili jsme, že všechny verze testů TMT (např. TMT-A a TMT-B) a TWT (např. TWT-1,2,3) mají velmi dobrou detekční schopnost rozlišení osob s pMCI od kontrolních skupin ICA a HYA hodnocené dohromady s hodnotami AUC v rozmezí od 0,81 do 0,876, které se obecně zvyšují s rostoucí složitostí duálního úkolu. Nejlepší detekční schopnosti však bylo dosaženo, když byla jako kontrolní skupina použita pouze HYA (AUC: 0,894–0,975). Screeningové testy TMT pro detekci pMCI zůstaly validní i po korekcích pomocí bootstrappingu (AUCs: 0,829–0,839). Zatímco varianta testu TWT-2 vykazovala přínos oproti TWT-1, přidaná hodnota TWT-3 oproti TWT-2 byla v naší studii omezená. Závěr: TWT je platným nástrojem pro screening pMCI u starších dospělých. Jeho použití může zlepšit včasnou detekci pMCI v klinických i neklinických podmínkách. Zatímco zvyšující se složitost testu zvyšuje jeho prediktivní výkonnost, na základě našich zjištění se zdá, že existuje hranice, za kterou se přidaná hodnota složitějších duálních úloh snižuje.
Background: Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a risk factor for dementia using valid screening tools can present an opportunity for timely intervention to slow the progression of cognitive decline in older adults. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Trail Walking Test (TWT) that includes a dual task to predict probable MCI (pMCI) in older adults and to evaluate its usability as a screening tool. Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 61 subjects categorized using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) into three groups: older adults with intact cognitive ability (ICA, MoCA > 25); older adults with pMCI (MoCA ≤ 25); and “healthy young adults (HYA) ”. All participants completed the Trail Making Test (TMT) and three variants of the TWT with increasing complexity. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and Youden indices were used to evaluate the capacity of each test to predict pMCI in older adults. Internal validation was performed to calculate AUCs corrected for optimism (AUCVAL). Results: The pMCI group performed significantly worse in all evaluated variations of the TMT and TWT than the ICA and HYA groups (P < 0.001). We found that all versions of the TMT (e. g., TMT-A and TMT-B) and TWT tests (e. g., TWT-1, 2, 3) have very good ability to discriminate between people with pMCI and all controls (e. g., ICA and HYA combined) with AUCs ranging from 0.81 to 0.876, generally increasing with increasing complexity of the dual task. Best performance was achieved when only HYA were used as a control group (AUCs: 0.894–0.975). The validity of these tools to predict pMCI remained very good after corrections using bootstrapping (AUCs: 0.829–0.839). While TWT-2 showed more benefits over TWT-1, the added value of TWT-3 over TWT-2 has been limited in this study. Conclusions: The dual component TWT is a valid screening tool for pMCI in older adults. Its use may improve early detection of pMCI in clinical and non-clinical settings. While increasing complexity of the test increases its predicting performance, based on our findings there seems to be a cutoff beyond which the added value of more complex dual tasks diminishes.
- MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * diagnóza MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- test cesty statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- test chůzí * metody statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- klinická studie MeSH
BACKGROUND: There is initial evidence suggesting that biomarker neurogranin (Ng) may distinguish Alzheimer's disease (AD) from other neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we assessed (a) the discriminant ability of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Ng levels to distinguish between AD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) pathology and between different stages within the same disease, (b) the relationship between Ng levels and cognitive performance in both AD and FTLD pathology, and (c) whether CSF Ng levels vary by apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism in the AD continuum. METHODS: Participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) (n = 33), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to AD (n = 109), AD dementia (n = 67), MCI due to FTLD (n = 25), and FTLD dementia (n = 29) were recruited from the Czech Brain Aging Study. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) assessed Ng levels in diagnostic subgroups. Linear regressions evaluated the relationship between CSF Ng levels, memory scores, and APOE polymorphism. RESULTS: Ng levels were higher in aMCI-AD patients compared to MCI-FTLD (F[1, 134] = 15.16, p < .001), and in AD-dementia compared to FTLD-dementia (F[1, 96] = 4.60, p = .029). Additionally, Ng levels were higher in FTLD-dementia patients compared to MCI-FTLD (F[1, 54]= 4.35, p = .034), lower in SCD participants compared to aMCI-AD (F[1, 142] = 10.72, p = .001) and AD-dementia (F[1, 100] = 20.90, p < .001), and did not differ between SCD participants and MCI-FTLD (F[1, 58]= 1.02, p = .491) or FTLD-dementia (F[1, 62]= 2.27, p = .051). The main effect of diagnosis across the diagnostic subgroups on Aβ1-42/Ng ratio was significant too (F[4, 263]=, p < .001). We found a non-significant association between Ng levels and memory scores overall (β=-0.25, p = .154) or in AD diagnostic subgroups, and non-significant differences in this association between overall AD APOE ε4 carriers and non-carriers (β=-0.32, p = .358). CONCLUSIONS: In this first study to-date to assess MCI and dementia due to AD or FTLD within one study, elevated CSF Ng appears to be an early biomarker of AD-related impairment, but its role as a biomarker appears to diminish after dementia diagnosis, whereby dementia-related underlying processes in AD and FTLD may begin to merge. The Aβ1-42/Ng ratio discriminated AD from FTLD patients better than Ng alone. CSF Ng levels were not related to memory in AD or FTLD, suggesting that Ng may be a marker of the biological signs of disease state rather than cognitive deficits.
- MeSH
- Alzheimerova nemoc * mozkomíšní mok diagnóza MeSH
- amyloidní beta-protein mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- apolipoproteiny E genetika mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- biologické markery * mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- frontotemporální lobární degenerace * mozkomíšní mok diagnóza MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * mozkomíšní mok diagnóza MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- neurogranin * mozkomíšní mok MeSH
- neuropsychologické testy MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Perioperative neurocognitive disorders are often neglected and undiagnosed. There are known risk factors for these disorders (e.g., higher levels of frailty, cognitive decline before surgery). However, these factors are usually not assessed in the daily clinical setting. One of the main reasons for this lack of examination is the absence of a suitable cognitive function test that can be used in acute clinical settings. The primary aim of this study was to determine correlations between preoperative and postoperative scores on three cognitive tests (the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Test of Gestures (TEGEST). METHODS: This was a prospective, monocentric, observational study that included one cohort of patients aged 65 years and older. Patients underwent acute or elective surgical operations. Preanaesthesia tests were administered. After the operation, the patients completed the same tests between the 2nd postoperative day and discharge. Preoperative and postoperative cognitive test scores were assessed. RESULTS: This study included 164 patients. The arithmetic mean age was 74.5 years. The strongest correlations were observed between MMSE scores and TEGEST scores (r = 0.830 before and 0.786 after surgery, P < 0.001). To compare the MMSE and the TEGEST, the MMSE was divided into 2 categories-normal and impaired-and good agreement was found among 76.2% of the participants (κ = 0.515). If the TEGEST scoring system was changed so that scores of 4-6 indicated normal cognition and scores of 0-3 indicated cognitive impairment, the level of agreement would be 90.8%, κ = 0.817. Only 5.5% of the patients had impaired MMSE scores and normal TEGEST scores, whereas 3.7% of the respondents normal MMSE scores and impaired TEGEST scores. CONCLUSION: According to our results, the TEGEST is a suitable option for assessing cognitive functioning before surgery among patients who are at risk of developing perioperative neurocognitive disorders. This study revealed that it is necessary to change the rating scale for the TEGEST so that scores of 4-6 indicate normal cognition and scores of 0-3 indicate cognitive impairment. In clinical practice, the use of the TEGEST may help to identify patients at risk of perioperative neurocognitive disorders.
- MeSH
- hodnocení rizik metody MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce diagnóza psychologie etiologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- neurokognitivní poruchy * diagnóza psychologie MeSH
- neuropsychologické testy MeSH
- perioperační období MeSH
- pooperační komplikace diagnóza psychologie etiologie MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- testy pro posouzení mentálních funkcí a demence MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- pozorovací studie MeSH
Jedním z aktuálních témat neuropsychologické diagnostiky je detekce simulace kognitivního oslabení a nedostatečné snahy během vyšetření. Důvodem simulace kognitivního oslabení či nedostatečné snahy může být získání různých výhod, např. finančních, materiálních, nebo pozornosti jiných osob. Při detekci simulace a nedostatečné snahy jsou využívány různé typy metod, např. testy kognitivních schopností či testy určené speciálně pro detekci simulace. Tento článek se zaměřuje na popis dvou konkrétních metod a jejich psychometrických vlastností – Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) a Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS). V rámci neuropsychologického testu RBANS lze snahu hodnotit pomocí několika ukazatelů. SIMS je inventářem zaměřujícím se nejen na hodnocení simulace kognitivního oslabení, ale i na hodnocení dalších oblastí psychopatologie.
One of the current issues in neuropsychological diagnostics is the detection of simulation of cognitive impairment and inadequate effort during the examination. The reason for the simulation of cognitive impairment or lack of effort may be to obtain various benefits, such as financial, material or attention from others. Different types of methods are used to detect simulation and lack of effort. These include tests of cognitive abilities and tests specifically designed to detect malingering. This article focuses on describing two specific methods and their psychometric properties – The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS). Within the RBANS neuropsychological test, effort can be assessed using several indicators. SIMS is an inventory that focuses not only on the assessment of simulated cognitive impairment, but also on the assessment of other areas of psychopathology.
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder where pathophysiological changes begin decades before the onset of clinical symptoms. Analysis of brain atrophy patterns using structural MRI and multivariate data analysis are an effective tool in identifying patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at higher risk of progression to AD dementia. Atrophy patterns obtained from models trained to classify advanced AD versus normal subjects, may not be optimal for subjects at an early stage, like SCD. In this study, we compared the accuracy of the SCD progression prediction using the 'severity index' generated using a standard classification model trained on patients with AD dementia versus a new model trained on β-amyloid (Aβ) positive patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). METHODS: We used structural MRI data of 504 patients from the Swedish BioFINDER-1 study cohort (cognitively normal (CN), Aβ-negative = 220; SCD, Aβ positive and negative = 139; aMCI, Aβ-positive = 106; AD dementia = 39). We applied multivariate data analysis to create two predictive models trained to discriminate CN individuals from either individuals with Aβ positive aMCI or AD dementia. Models were applied to individuals with SCD to classify their atrophy patterns as either high-risk "disease-like" or low-risk "CN-like". Clinical trajectory and model accuracy were evaluated using 8 years of longitudinal data. RESULTS: In predicting progression from SCD to MCI or dementia, the standard, dementia-based model, reached 100% specificity but only 10.6% sensitivity, while the new, aMCI-based model, reached 72.3% sensitivity and 60.9% specificity. The aMCI-based model was superior in predicting progression from SCD to MCI or dementia, reaching a higher receiver operating characteristic area under curve (AUC = 0.72; P = 0.037) in comparison with the dementia-based model (AUC = 0.57). CONCLUSION: When predicting conversion from SCD to MCI or dementia using structural MRI data, prediction models based on individuals with milder levels of atrophy (i.e. aMCI) may offer superior clinical value compared to standard dementia-based models.
- MeSH
- Alzheimerova nemoc diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- atrofie * patologie MeSH
- demence * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * diagnostické zobrazování patologie diagnóza MeSH
- kohortové studie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie * metody MeSH
- mozek * patologie diagnostické zobrazování MeSH
- neuropsychologické testy MeSH
- progrese nemoci * MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
V posledných rokoch sa hodnotenie jazykových schopností osôb s kognitívnym deficitom zameriava na hodnotenie diskurzu. Konkrétne analýza informatívnosti sa ukazuje ako účinný diagnostický nástroj. Ide o hodnotenie, ktoré kombinuje štrukturalistický a funkcionalistický prístup k analýze diskurzu. Cieľom výskumu je zhodnotiť informatívnosť diskurzu osôb s demenciou pri Alzheimerovej chorobe (AD) a miernou kognitívnou poruchou (MCI). Výskumnú vzorku tvorí 25 osôb s AD, 25 osôb s MCI a 25 zdravých kontrol. Vzorky diskurzu sú elicitované pomocou opisu obrázkov. Na hodnotenie informatívnosti sa používa metóda analýzy hlavných konceptov. Výsledky výskumu nachádzajú signifikantné rozdiely vo výkonoch troch skupín výskumnej vzorky, pričom najviac konceptov vyjadrujú osoby z kontrolnej vzorky, nasleduje skupina MCI a najmenej konceptov vyjadruje skupina AD. Podľa výsledkov post-hoc testu sú signifikantné rozdiely v informatívnosti medzi AD a zdravými kontrolami, medzi MCI a zdravými kontrolami, ako aj medzi AD a MCI. Na základe výsledkov štúdie sa analýza hlavných konceptov, a teda hodnotenie informatívnosti ukazuje ako vhodná metóda na zachytenie jazykových ťažkostí pri AD a MCI. Cieľom ďalšieho výskumu by malo byť podrobné spracovanie metódy hodnotenia hlavných konceptov a jej spracovanie aj pre ďalšie elicitačné materiály bežne používané v slovenskej praxi.
In recent years, the assessment of the language abilities of persons with cognitive deficits has focused on discourse assessment. Specifically, the assessment of informativeness proves to be an effective diagnostic tool. This is an evaluation that combines a structuralist and functionalist approach to discourse analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate discourse informativeness of persons with Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The research sample consists of 25 persons with AD, 25 persons with MCI and 25 healthy controls. Discourse samples are elicited using picture description. Main concept analysis is used to evaluate informativeness. The results show significant differences in the performance of the three groups of the research sample, with the most concepts being expressed by people from the control sample, followed by the MCI group, and the least concepts being expressed by the AD group. According to the results of the post-hoc test, there are significant differences in informativeness between AD and healthy controls, between MCI and healthy controls, and also between AD and MCI. Based on the results of the study, main concept analysis and thus the evaluation of informativeness appears to be a suitable method for capturing language difficulties in AD and MCI. The goal of further research should be a detailed elaboration of main concept analysis and its application to other elicitation materials commonly used in Slovak practice.
