Approach to communication in a case of Alzheimer's linguistic variant

• Main Authors: Maria Cruz Pérez Lancho, Raquel Hernández Sánchez
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Asociación Nacional de Psicología Evolutiva y Educativa de la Infancia Adolescencia Mayores y Discapacidad 2016-10-01
• Series: INFAD
• Subjects: alzheimer; lenguaje; evaluación; tratamiento; cuidador
• Online Access: http://www.infad.eu/RevistaINFAD/OJS/index.php/IJODAEP/article/view/554

This work aims to show how language deterioration can be addressed in Alzheimer’s disease. Taking into account that the cognitive intervention is programmed in a context of progressive loss of memory, agnosia, apraxia and executive deficit, the approach can’t be analogous to that of aphasia acquired by focal brain injury. Therefore, it’s necessary to make an assessment of the aphasic profile at each stage of the disease in order to create the most appropriate intervention, while patient’s relatives are informed about the communication difficulties that appear and which become gradually more complicated and how to deal with them. It presents a case of Alzheimer - type dementia, with early onset communication difficulties, treated in the healthcare service of the Pontificia University of Salamanca. The evaluation of cognitive and functional impairment, the detailed study of language deficits, the approach of individualized therapy and intervention guidelines to improve communication interactions with the caregiver in the family are described in this work.