Perseveration in Alzheimer's disease

Background/Aims and Methods: Perseveration is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We document the type and quantitative burden of perseveration as cognitive decline progresses from normal aging (n = 30) through mild AD (n = 20) to moderate AD (n = 20) by administering a semantic verbal fluency task. Results: We found perseveration to increase significantly with increasing severity of AD and different types of perseveration that distinguish the subject groups in a statistically significant manner. Recurrent and continuous perseverations appear early in AD. As the disease progresses in severity into moderate stage, the number of recurrent and continuous perseverations increases, and stuck-in-set perseverations emerge. Conclusion: The different types of perseveration are likely to reflect the progressive deterioration of different brain regions in AD. Copyright (C) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.