Lack of Decision-making in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease : Functions Involved and the Daily Consequences

Summary

Early in its development, Alzheimer's disease causes not only brain damage affecting different regions of the brain, such as the entorhinal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the prefrontal lobe, but also a cognitive deficit affecting several functions, such as episodic memory, executive functions, or working memory. Although these different areas and functions are involved in the decision-making process, few studies have focused their research on this subject in the context of Alzheimer's disease. However, a 2008 study showed an early decline in decision-making skills in the disease, but did not link this deficit to cognitive impairment. In addition, decision-making is generally assessed using a test called the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which, despite its many advantages, does not have established ecological validity. In the context of pathology, however, it seems essential to evaluate decision-making in relation to daily life, especially since a deficit in this process would have considerable repercussions on quality of life. In this study, the investigators seek to better define the disorder by decision-making in early Alzheimer's disease, to understand the links between them with the deficit of other cognitive functions, and to highlight the the consequences that this decline has on patients' daily lives.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria for patients with Alzheimer's disease :

* Mini-Mental State Examination \> 23
* stable treatment for at least two months
* mother tongue : French

Inclusion Criteria for control :

* general cognitive level in the standard on the following tests : Mini-Mental State Examination and Fast Front End Efficiency Battery
* mother tongue : French

Exclusion Criteria for patients with Alzheimer's disease :

* game addiction
* uncorrected visual and hearing disorders
* other neurological or psychiatric history
* inability to communicate
* delusional or psychotic state

Exclusion Criteria for control :

* game addiction
* psychiatric or neurological disorders
* anxiety and depression symptomatology

Conditions2

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