Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
Freehand drawing impairments in probable Alzheimer's disease
M Grossman1, J Mickanin, K Onishi
1Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, USA.
Abstract:
We evaluated freehand picture production of familiar objects in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. The overall recognizability of their drawings was significantly compromised. Error analyses revealed the production of category violations and the frequent inclusion of incorrect features in a picture that were borrowed from semantically related objects, suggesting difficulty distinguishing between items with overlapping features sets in semantic memory. Analyses of individual patient drawing profiles also revealed that some patients are disproportionately compromised in expressing a particular perceptual feature, implicating difficulty at the level of perceptual processing. Regression analyses demonstrated the contribution of limited visual attentional resources. We conclude that impaired freehand drawing in probable Alzheimer's disease is multifactorial in nature.
Related Concept Videos
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...
Visual Agnosia
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Dementia l: Introduction

