Motoric, cognitive and linguistic writing process characteristics in Alzheimer's disease: a task validity, cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

Research has shown that Alzheimer (AD) patients manifest deterioration in language production. This research project aims to develop valid screening tasks that enable researchers and clinicians to characterize the longitudinal decline of on-line written language production in AD over a 12- month period. These aims will be addressed in three consecutive studies: 1. a task-validity study, 2. a cross-sectional study, and 3. a longitudinal study. Since findings from previous research indicate the need for a screening task that assesses multiple components of language, we will combine writing tasks that focus on motor and cognitive and linguistic aspects. The more general screening tasks (i.c., describing two pictures depicting a situation) that focus on the cognitive and linguistic aspects need to be validated first. The quality of the elicitation, and consequently of the screening tool, will benefit from a careful validation of the tasks at hand. Based on the findings of the task validity study, we will design an experimental cross-sectional study involving patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild AD and a healthy control group. The observation method used, keystroke logging, is non-intrusive, timesaving, and hence cost-reducing, when compared to other diagnostic tools. Finally, in a longitudinal study, the cross-sectional study will be replicated at three different moments (0-6-12 months) in order to document the (potential) cognitive decline.

Keywords:ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, LINGUISTICS

Disciplines:Linguistics, Theory and methodology of linguistics, Other languages and literary studies