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Cognitive disinhibition and socioemotional functioning in Alzheimer's disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2007

SCOTT NASH ,
JULIE D. HENRY ,
SKYE MCDONALD ,
INGERITH MARTIN ,
HENRY BRODATY  and
MARIE-ANDREE PEEK-O'LEARY
SCOTT NASH
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
JULIE D. HENRY
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
SKYE MCDONALD
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
INGERITH MARTIN
Affiliation:
Aged Care Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney 2065, Australia.
HENRY BRODATY
Affiliation:
Age Care Mental Health, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia. Memory Disorders Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney 2031, Australia
MARIE-ANDREE PEEK-O'LEARY
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
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Abstract

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience difficulties with socioemotional functioning, and it has been proposed that cognitive disinhibition may be one potential mechanism that contributes to difficulties in this area. To test this possibility, twenty individuals with AD and 20 demographically matched controls were administered self-report measures of depression, emotion regulation and empathy, in addition to a behavioral measure that has proven to be very sensitive to inhibitory failures (the Hayling Sentence Completion Test). Relative to controls AD participants exhibited increased inhibitory failures on the Hayling, and self-reported significantly reduced cognitive empathy, but did not differ with respect to affective empathy, depression or perceived capacity for emotion regulation. Controlling for general cognitive status, in the AD (but not the control) group, reduced cognitive inhibition was associated with lower levels of depression. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. (JINS, 2007, 13, 1060–1064.)

Keywords

DementiaInhibitory controlDepressionEmotion regulationCognitive empathyAffective empathy
Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 13 , Issue 6 , November 2007 , pp. 1060 - 1064
Copyright
© 2007 The International Neuropsychological Society

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