DEFICITS IN READING PERFORMANCE IN VERY MILD DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE

Reading of irregular words using the American version of the National Adult Reading Test (AMNART; E. Grober & M. Sliwinski, 1991) was examin ed in 101 healthy older adults and compared with 50 people with very m ild and 62 people with mild dementia of the Alzheimer type. Significan t deficits were observed in both the very mild and mild dementia group s. performance on this reading test was substantially correlated with other measures of semantic memory, which are also affected early in th e course of the disease. Use of this test as an indicator of premorbid intelligence in people with dementia of the Alzheimer type does not a ppear wise.