[Neuropsychology and senile dementia]

The study of senile plaque dementias and neurofibrillary degenerations, represented by Alzheimer's disease, presbyophrenia, simple senile dementia, and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type, enables, by means of its specificity, a privileged method of approach to be taken in the comprehension of cerebral mechanisms, with a resulting different conception of neuropsychology. That which is described in this paper has evolved from the application of Genetic Psychology methods developed by J. Piaget. It demonstrates the value of a synchronic qualitative analysis of dementia, even for determination of etiology. It tries to avoid as much somatomorphism as adultomorphism, infantomorphism, and normomorphism. It is concerned with the modalities of individual disorganization and associated changes in various higher functions of the central nervous system. It also attempts to take the patient, his disease and his environment into account simultaneously, and to orientate the symptomatology in a more precise manner towards the adaptation of the patient to his environment, by demonstrating that the process of diagnosis is not independent of the objectives of treatment.