Relational aspects involved in the neuropsychological approach to the elderly patient: A possible contribution to an early diagnosis of cognitive disorders

Summary jective of this retrospective case-series study was to examine the pathological speech and behavioral aspects during evaluations of cognitive deterioration, using the set of tests validated in Italy. The study was performed in the Geriatric Service of the Lugo District Area at Local Sanitary Unit (USL) in Ravenna. There were 165 patients selected: 63 of them resulted normal and 102 deteriorated considering the reference cut-off of the tests. Pathological phenomena were: attention falls, task losses, repetition of materials previously reported, confabulation contextual to the task developed, parasitical associations. To each category of phenomena the following scores were given per patient: 0 for the absence of the symptom, 5 for occasional presence, 10 for substantial presence (> 2/analysis). The disadvantage mean value was then calculated for each phenomenon in both groups. Attention fall and/or task loss, if followed by a suitable behavior, is not pathological in itself. Task loss is a marked sign of pathology when followed by confabulation. Repetition is the other aspect which shows the patientʹs cognitive difficulty.