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False recognition in Lewy-body disease and frontotemporal dementia
C de Boysson1, S Belleville, N A Phillips
1Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Abstract:
The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the false recognition phenomenon in persons with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and those with Lewy-body disease (LBD). Patients with LBD (n=10) or FTD (n=15) and their corresponding controls (n=30) were subjected to the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm to induce false recognition. Patients were first presented with items semantically related to a nonpresented critical target. The critical target was later included in a word list shown to patients to assess level of recognition. Both groups of patients showed a reduced level of false recognition of the critical target when controlling for their overall level of false alarms. This reduction was greater in persons with LBD than in those with FTD. Correlational analyses of performance on neuropsychological tests and the DRM variables indicated that the reduced DRM effect was associated with inhibition deficits in patients with LBD and with inhibition deficits and verbal memory in those with FTD. Our results support current models suggesting that these cognitive components contribute to the false recognition effect.
Insights
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Lewy-body disease (LBD) patients exhibit reduced false recognition. This memory phenomenon was less pronounced in Lewy-body disease than frontotemporal dementia patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- False recognition, a cognitive phenomenon, is increasingly studied in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Lewy-body disease (LBD) are distinct neurodegenerative conditions impacting cognition differently.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the false recognition phenomenon in individuals with FTD and LBD.
- To explore the relationship between false recognition deficits and specific cognitive impairments in these patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm to elicit false recognition.
- Assessed recognition levels in patients with LBD (n=10) and FTD (n=15), alongside 30 healthy controls.
- Administered neuropsychological tests to evaluate cognitive functions, including inhibition and verbal memory.
Main Results:
- Both FTD and LBD patient groups demonstrated a reduced level of false recognition compared to controls.
- The reduction in false recognition was significantly greater in patients with LBD than in those with FTD.
- Correlations revealed that reduced false recognition in LBD was linked to inhibition deficits, while in FTD, it was associated with both inhibition deficits and verbal memory impairments.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive components such as inhibition and verbal memory play a crucial role in the false recognition effect.
- Findings support existing models of memory and cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases.
- The study highlights differential impacts of FTD and LBD on memory processes, particularly false recognition.
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