The heterogeneity of picture-supported narratives in Alzheimer's disease
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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Anh Duong1, Francine Giroux, Andréanne Tardif
1Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, Canada. anh@bic.mni.mcgill.ca
Abstract:
This study describes discourse patterns produced by 46 Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and 53 normal elderly subjects in two picture-supported narratives. Nine measures derived from a cognitive model of discourse processing were obtained and submitted to cluster analysis. Results indicate that discourse patterns elicited from both stimuli were heterogeneous. Further, they fail to clearly differentiate between normal aging and AD in half of the AD patients. Discourse patterns are examined in light of various sources of heterogeneity including severity of cognitive impairment, subject characteristics, and task demands. The usefulness of discourse as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool is discussed.
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