Alzheimer's Disease (henceforth „A.D.“) is generally diagnosed in people over the age of 65. So when the world populations becomes older and more persons over the age of 65 populate the world, the disease spreads. By 2006, the number of A.D.-patients had already increased to 26.6 millions. This number is assumed to quadruple by 2050.
But an improved A.D.-research would not only help those persons who suffer from it:
„Alzheimer's Disease offers the challenge not only of delineating the writing disturbance of a common neurodegenerative illness but also the opportunity to discern how widespread neocortical deafferentation affects the neurobehavioral underpinnings of a complex cognitive task such as writing.“ (Glossar et al., 2000:78)
Why especially the examination of language in A.D.-patients can promote the general study of language a great deal is also pointed out by Obler et al. (1999:92):
„The language of dementing patients presents a unique opportunity for examining the relationship between language and cognition. The pattern of dissociation of abilities in dementia can yield information regarding the normal relationship – dependence or independence – between language and more general cognitive abilities. […] To study language production and comprehension abilities in dementing patients is to explore the boundaries between syntax and semantics and among semantics, real world knowledge, and reasoning abilites.“
In this termpaper I will show that A.D. has severe effects on the patients’ language and that it is primarily caused by an impaired memory. During the second chapter, I will give a brief overview of the disease in general, i.e. the history of A.D., the insights and damages of A.D.-patients’ brain and body, and the different stages of this disease. Chapter 3 will present a selection of the most common effects of A.D. on language. The fourth chapter will close with a short summary of the termpaper and a conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Alzheimer's Disease – A medical overview
2.1 A short history of Alzheimer’s Disease
2.2 Impairments of body and brain due to A.D.
2.3 The different stages of A.D.
3. The effects of A.D. on language
3.1 Writing Impairments
3.2 Semantic/Vocabulary Impairments
3.3 Comprehension and Production Impairments
3.4 Naming Impairments (Anomia)
3.5 Intrusion Impairments
3.6 Impairments of Grammar and Syntax
3.7 Pragmatic Impairments
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines the profound impact of Alzheimer's Disease (A.D.) on linguistic capabilities, arguing that these impairments are primarily caused by memory degradation. It explores the progression of the disease from a medical standpoint and analyzes specific language deficits observed in patients.
- The progression of Alzheimer’s Disease and its neuropathological effects.
- Linguistic symptoms, including writing, naming (anomia), and syntactic impairments.
- The relationship between memory loss and the decline of semantic knowledge.
- Analysis of communicative and pragmatic abilities in the different stages of A.D.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Writing Impairments
A very current disturbance in A.D.-patients is the writing impairment, also called agraphia. It can usually be observed very early in the disease and worsens during the course of disease. Writing to sound, i.e. during a dictation, is almost preserved in A.D.-patients. But writing from meaning, such as written picture naming, is severly impaired. One of the main reason for this effect is their disruption of, or imparied access to, lexical semantic representations.
In a study by Glosser and Kaplan in 1989, A.D.-patients' writing impairments in writing from meaning were compared. Most of the patients could not find the right words, but found semantically related ones, such as fish for the picture of an octopus. A similar study by Neils, Roeltgen and Constantinidou in 1995 showed the patients's struggle with spelling homophones. To understand the difference between sun and son, it is necessary to know and distinguish the semantic meanings of the words. If this knowledge about semantic attributes is missing, the particular spelling that corresponds to the word in question is hard to find. Most of the patients' errors during the study concerned homophone substitutions, like spelling doe in the context bake the bread, dough. All in all, the study by Neils et al. showed that the A.D.-patients are able to spell words correctly but struggle by attaching certain spelling patterns to specific word meanings (Connor et al. 2000).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the rising prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease and establishes the thesis that memory impairment is the primary driver of linguistic decline.
2. The Alzheimer's Disease – A medical overview: Provides a historical background of the disease, outlines physiological brain damage, and defines the three characteristic stages of the disorder.
3. The effects of A.D. on language: Details specific linguistic deficits, including writing, vocabulary, comprehension, naming, grammar, and pragmatic communication challenges.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings, reinforcing the conclusion that linguistic disturbances correlate strongly with memory loss.
5. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and electronic references used for the research.
Keywords
Alzheimer's Disease, A.D., Language impairment, Memory loss, Anomia, Agraphia, Semantic memory, Episodic memory, Syntax, Pragmatics, Neurodegeneration, Cognition, Vocabulary deficit, Dementia, Linguistic performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper focuses on how Alzheimer's Disease affects the linguistic abilities of patients, specifically analyzing how cognitive decline and memory loss manifest in speech and writing.
Which central topics are discussed in this work?
The study covers the medical history of Alzheimer's, the progression of the disease through three stages, and detailed linguistic aspects like naming difficulties, grammatical changes, and semantic impairment.
What is the primary thesis of the author?
The primary thesis is that the language impairments observed in Alzheimer's patients are not independent deficits but are fundamentally caused by memory impairments.
Which scientific method does the author employ?
The author uses a literature-based research approach, synthesizing existing studies, diagnostic observations, and theories from neuropsychology to support her arguments.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body treats the medical overview of the disease, the physiological changes in the brain (hippocampus/entorhinal cortex), and a comprehensive breakdown of linguistic impairments including writing, naming, and pragmatics.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Alzheimer's Disease, language impairment, memory loss, anomia, agraphia, semantic and episodic memory, and pragmatic language disorders.
Does the paper suggest that language is entirely lost during the disease?
No, the paper points out that certain linguistic abilities, such as the use of communicative set phrases or the recognition of intonation patterns, can remain preserved for a surprisingly long time.
Why is the examination of language in Alzheimer's patients scientifically valuable?
The paper suggests it offers a unique opportunity to study the relationship between language and cognition, helping to map the boundaries between syntax, semantics, and real-world knowledge.
- Quote paper
- Jenny Beyen (Author), 2009, The Effects of Alzheimer's Disease on Language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/148232
