Early Spatio-Temporal and Cognitive Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease

Background/Objectives: Mental representation of spatial information relies on egocentric (body-based) and allocentric (environment-based) frames of reference. Research showed that spatial memory deteriorates as Alzheimer's disease (AD) progresses and that allocentric spatial memory is among the earliest impaired areas. Most studies have been conducted in static situations despite the dynamic nature of real-world spatial processing. Thus, this raises the question: Does temporal order affect spatial memory? The present study, by adopting a dynamic spatial memory task, explored how the temporal order of item presentation influences egocentric and allocentric spatial judgments in individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (eAD) and healthy elderly individuals (normal controls-NC). Method: Participants were required to memorize dyads of simple 3D geometrical objects presented one at a time on a desk along with a bar. Afterwards, they had to choose what stimulus appeared either closest to them (egocentric judgment) or closest to the bar (allocentric judgment). Results: Results revealed that the temporal order significantly affected spatial judgments in eAD patients but not in NC participants. While eAD patients remain anchored to the item presented first, which is more accurate regardless of the frame used, NC are equally accurate with the item that appears first or second. This is presumably because eAD patients struggle to flexibly shift attention and update spatial representations in dynamic situations, which leads to reliance on initial information and difficulties with information presented later. Conclusions: This highlights the importance of further understanding the cognitive strategies employed by AD patients.