Motor and functional changes in different stages of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent dementia, being associated with cognitive, behavioral, and functional alterations. However, clarifying the influence of the disease worsening in the decline of these functions is of major relevance. OBJECTIVE: Compare specific cognitive functions, motor functions and activities of daily living (ADL) of AD patients in different stages of the disease. METHODS: Cognitive and motor functions, as well as ADL of 74 AD patients (35 patients CDR1; 20 patients CDR2; 19 patients CDR3) were evaluated. RESULTS: Motor function and independency in the ADL have presented a non-linear decline. While motor function shows a greater decline from the mild to the moderate phase, ADL present a greater decline in the severe stage of the disease. DISCUSSION: Motor function decline is more evident in both moderate and severe stages of AD, associated with losses in physical capacity and increases in risk of falls. The patients' loss of independency to perform instrumental ADL occurs in a non-linear pattern and it is much greater than both physical and cognitive declines when these parameters are objectively evaluated in the three phases of the disease.