Colour discrimination, colour naming and colour preferences among individuals with Alzheimer's disease

Objective. To study the ability of colour naming, colour discrimination and colour preference in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Design. Descriptive, consecutive sample. Participants. Fifty subjects > 65 years with AD. Interventions. Testing colour discrimination, colour naming and colour pref erences. Main outcome measures. Ability to detect colour differences in the yellow, red, blue and green areas, ability to assign a name to 22 colours samples, ability to rank seven colours in order of preference. Main results. Discrimination ability was significantly better in the yellow and red area and for lightness variations. Cognitive decline had a signifi cant impact on naming mixed colours and using elaborate colour names. Sever ity of dementia did not affect the preference rank order of colours. Conclusions. Ability to discriminate is affected in ADI with most errors in the blue and green area. Naming colours shows a cognitive decline. Prefere nces for colour are stable despite the disease. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wil ey gr Sons, Ltd.