Pantomime recognition impairment in Alzheimer's disease

This study was designed to examine whether 10 AD patients with diffuse lesi ons and an early semantic dc deficit could comprehend the meaning of pantom imes and symbolic gestures. We especially wanted to determine the relations hip between pantomime recognition and production. The tasks involved naming or showing an understanding (e.g., circumlocutions) of the pantomimes exec uted by the examiner and producing pantomimes to verbal command or to imita tion. The results showed no significant relationship between pantomime comp rehension and pantomime production. However, 60% of AD patients peformed po orly compared to controls on the Gesture Recognition task. Gesture comprehe nsion was highly correlated with a measure of global cognitive impairment ( 3MS). The data are consistent with the proposed separation of comprehension and action production systems in a cognitive model of praxis. Gesture comp rehension may be diffusely distributed and thus pre served in the early sta ges of an as in circumscribed lesions of the left parietal lobe. (C) 2000 A cademic Press.