DETERIORATION OF SPONTANEOUS SPEECH IN AD PATIENTS DURING A 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP - HOMOGENEITY OF PROFILES AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRESSION

This longitudinal study measured the rate of spontaneous speech declin e in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at a 1-year follow-up and determined the effect of clinical and demographic factors on that rate . In addition the pattern of spontaneous speech impairment was examine d. The expected pattern of spontaneous speech impairment with prominen t disturbances of communication and semantics, moderate disturbances o f automatic speech, but with retained phonematic structures, was found at baseline and at follow-up in the majority of our rather large samp le (n = 63). This result is discussed in terms of intrafunctional homo geneity and of selective involvement of neuronal systems in AD. There was a trend for a more rapid language decline in patients with a famil y history of dementia. No relationship was detected between the rate o f spontaneous speech decline and other clinical and demographic factor s, with the exception of initial spontaneous speech impairment.