Hikaru Nakamura

Validity of brief intelligence tests for patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract The validity of two kinds of brief intelligence tests for patients with Alzheimers disease (AD) was investigated. In study 1, five short forms of the Japanese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐Revised (JWAIS‐R) were administered to 102 AD patients. The results showed that the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between IQ estimated with the short forms and those obtained by administration of the full JWAIS‐R were satisfactory, ranging from 0.82 to 0.98, and that the abbreviated forms took a shorter time to execute. In study 2, the Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) and the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) were administered to 67 AD patients. The ICC between the IQ estimated with these tests and the full‐scale IQ of the JWAIS‐R were both acceptable at 0.57, and each test could be carried out in a very short time. It was concluded that these brief tests, particularly the WAIS‐R short forms, are highly practical for quick measurement of intelligence in AD patients, although they have their respective limitations.

Two cases of functional focal retrograde amnesia with impairment of object use

We report on two patients, TH and KN, with focal retrograde amnesia (FRA). Their memory loss regarding life events extended to their whole lives, whereas they could acquire and retain new information. They also showed prominent deficits in production and comprehension of common words. In addition, at least in the testing situation, they were impaired in their recognition and use of familiar objects. Although both cases of FRA followed an episode that can cause brain pathology, MRI revealed no structural abnormality in either patient. Stressful situations preceding the onset were evident in KN, but not in TH. We discuss their impairments of object knowledge from a neuropsychological perspective, and we interpret the etiology of their condition as a functional rather than a psychogenic amnesia.

Cognitive Patterns of Good and Poor Namers in Old Age

Background: Word finding difficulties are common complaints among healthy elderly persons. Recently, both cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated a decline in naming ability, particularly in subjects 70 years old or over. It is unclear which cognitive mechanisms cause this reduction of lexical retrieval ability with advancing age.

The Influence of the Stroop Interference Effect on an Event-based Prospective Memory Task in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Background: Prospective memory is known as the memory of a plan to carry out an intended action in the future. Although it is associated with many activities in everyday life, to date there have been no well controlled laboratory studies of prospective memory in patients with Alzheimers dementia (AD). In this study, we investigated the ability of prospective memory in AD subjects using an event‐based prospective memory task in which prospective remembering is triggered by a specific external cue.

Exploring the Role of the Right Temporal Lobe in Person‐specific Knowledge: A Case Study of Semantic Dementia Associated with Right Temporal Lobe Atrophy

Abstract: The role of the right temporal lobe in person‐specific knowledge is not yet fully understood. We report here the case of a 66‐year old, right‐handed woman with severe right temporal lobe atrophy, who was diagnosed as having semantic dementia according to established criteria. While she had difficulty in identifying faces of famous people, family members, such as her daughter, were relatively well recognized. Brain MRI revealed asymmetrical lateral temporal lobe atrophy, involving the pole and the inferior and middle temporal gyri on the right side. We examined her knowledge of personal acquaintances and famous people using detailed autobiographical memory and famous events‐people tests. While she had lost almost all knowledge of personal acquaintances (e.g., old friends) and famous people of her past, she was able to identify personal acquaintances (e.g., grandchildren) from her recent life, not only by name, but also by face. However, famous people in recent memory could be recognized only by name, but not by face. These results suggest that knowledge regarding personal acquaintances in recent memory is supported by greater exposure, relative to that of famous persons and personal acquaintances in her past life, and the preservation of episodic memory. The right temporal lobe may play an important role in the storage of knowledge about people in past memory and accessing faces of famous people in recent memory.