Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T16:39:03.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Simple reaction time as a measure of global attention in Alzheimer's disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2009

Mary Sano ,
Wilma Rosen ,
Yaakov Stern ,
Jeffrey Rosen  and
Richard Mayeux
Mary Sano
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology in the Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032
Wilma Rosen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032
Yaakov Stern
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology in the Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032 Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032
Jeffrey Rosen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, City University of New York, NY 10031
Richard Mayeux
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology in the Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032 Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY 10032
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive decline in memory, language and other cognitive functions. Deficits in attentional processes have also been suggested. A simple reaction time (RT) task was used to assess global attention in AD. The length and consistency of a warning signal given prior to the response stimulus were manipulated to determine if patients with AD and age-matched controls benefit from predictability in RT tasks. Overall reaction time was slower in the AD group than in the and control group. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in RT with long warning signals compared to short warning signals, but only the control group benefited from the consistency of the warning. (JINS, 1995, I, 56–61.)

Keywords

Alzheimer's diseaseAttentionReaction timeGlobal attention
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 56 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.f rev.). Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
Aston-Jones, G., Foote, S.L., & Bloom, F.E. (1984). Anatomy and physiology of the locus coeruleus neurons: Functional implications. In Ziegler, M.G. (ed.), Frontiers in Clinical Neurosciences (vol 2). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
Bertelson, P. (1967). The time course of preparation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 19, 272–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blessed, G., Tomlinson, B.E., & Roth, M. (1968). The association between quantitative measures and degenerative changes in the cerebral gray matter of elderly patients. British Journal of Psychiatry; 114, 797–811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bondareff, W., Mountjoy, C. & Roth, M. (1981). Selective loss of neurons of origin of adrenergic projection to cerebral cortex (nucleus locus coeruleus) in senile dementia. Lancet, 1, 783–784.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Botwinick, J., Brinley, J.F., & Robbins, J.S. (1959). Maintaining set in relation to motivation and age. American Journal of Psychology, 72, 585–588.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, R.M., Semple, W.E., Gross, M., Holcomb, H.J., Dowling, S.M., & Nordhal, T.E. (1988). Functional localization of sustained attention. Neuropsychiatry Nuopsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 1, 3–20.Google Scholar
Cossa, F.M., DellaSala, S., & Spinnler, H. (1989). Selective visual attention in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients: Memory and data driven control. Neuropsychologia, 27, 887–892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferris, S., Cook, T., Sathananthan, S., & Gershon, S. (1976). Reaction time as a diagnostic measure in senility. Journal of American Geriatric Society, 24, 529–534.Google Scholar
Fisk, A.D., Fisher, D.L., & Rogers, W.A. (1992). General slowing alone cannot account for age related search effects: A reply to Cerella (1991). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 121, 73–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Folstein, M.F., Folstein, S.E., & McHugh, P.R. (1975). “Mini-Mental State.” A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.Google Scholar
Gibson, J.J. (1941). A critical review of the concept of set in contemporary psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 38, 781–817.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haxby, J.B., Grady, L., Koss, E., Horwitz, B., Shapiro, M., Friedland, R., & Rapaport, S.I. (1988). Heterogeneous anterior-posterior metabolic patterns in dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Neurology, 38, 1853–1863.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayes, W.L. (1981). Statistics. (3rd ed.). New York: Holt R.n.hart, & Winston.Google Scholar
Hom, J. (1992). General and specific cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 7, 121–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karlin, L. (1959). Reaction time as a function of foreperiod duration and variability. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 185–191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klemmer, E.T. (1957). Simple reaction time as a function of time uncertainty. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 51, 179–184.Google Scholar
McKhann, G., Drachman, D., Folstein, M., Katzman, R., Price, D., & Stadlan, E. (1984). Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: Report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services task force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology, 34, 939–944.Google Scholar
Nebes, R.D. & Brady, C.B. (1993). Phasic and tonic alertness in Alzheimer's Disease. Cortex, 29, 77–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neiser, U. (1967). Cognitive Psychology. New York: Appleton Century Croft.Google Scholar
Parasuraman, R., Greenwood, P.M., Haxby, J.V., & Grady, C.L. (1992). Visual spatial attention in dementia of the Alzheimer type. Brain, 115, 711–733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parasuraman, R. & Haxby, J.V. (1993). Attention and brain function in Alzheimer's Disease: A review. Neuropsychology, 7, 242–272.Google Scholar
Pirozzolo, F.J., Christensen, K.J., Ogle, K.M., Hansch, E.G., & Thompson, W.G. (1981). Simple choice reaction time in dementia: Clinical implications. Neurobiology of Aging, 2, 113–117.Google Scholar
Posner, M.J. (1986). Chronometric Exploration of the Mind. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Posner, M.J. & Peterson, S.E. (1990). The attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of Neurosciences, 13, 25–42CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shum, D.H.K., McFarland, K., & Bain, J.D. (1994). Assessment of attention: Relationship between psychological testing and information-processing approaches. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Psychology, 16, 531–538.Google Scholar
Shum, D.H.K., McFarland, K., Bain, J.D., & Humphreys, M.S. (1990). Effect of closed-head injury on attentional processes: An information-processing stage analysis. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Psychology, 12, 247–264.Google ScholarPubMed
Stern, Y., Sano, M., Paulsen, J., & Mayeux, R. (1987). Modified Mini-Mental State examination: Validity and reliability. Neurology, 57(supp 1), 179.Google Scholar
Stuss, D. & Benson, D.F. (1986). The frontal lobes. New York: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S. (1983). Using multivariate statistics. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Van Zomeran, A.H. (1981). Reaction time and attention after closed head injury. Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.Google Scholar