Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2026

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
Decline of language among women and men with Alzheimer's disease
L E Hebert1, R S Wilson, D W Gilley
1Rush Institute for Healthy Aging and Department of Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. LHebert1@rush.edu
Abstract:
Previous research raises the possibility that gender differences occur in language function in Alzheimer's disease, but this hypothesis has not been evaluated systematically in longitudinal studies. The authors examined the association of gender with rate of decline in language and other cognitive functions among 410 persons with Alzheimer's disease. Participants were recruited from a dementia clinic and followed for up to 5 annual evaluations. Follow-up participation among survivors exceeded 90%. Decline in a composite score based on 8 language tests was evaluated in random effects models with age, education, and race controlled. Annual decline was 0.71 standard units (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.79) for women and 0.74 units (95% CI = 0.61-0.86) for men, not a significant difference. Decline on the individual language tests and on composite measures of memory, perception, and global cognition also indicated no significant association with gender. These results suggest that Alzheimer's disease affects language and other cognitive functions similarly in women and men.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Dementia l: Introduction
Language and Cognition
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood

