Syntactic processing skills in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Background Communication and language impairments may be found in individuals with CCL. Thus, a better understanding language processing in this group and in healthy aging is necessary. Most studies in CCL and AD have focused on naming and semantic processes, and few studies have focused on syntactic processing skills, especially in the Brazilian population. Method A total of 114 elderly people of both sexes, aged at least 60 years, living in the city of São Paulo, were evaluated. The subjects were divided into 32 healthy elderly, 22 with aminestic mild cognitive impairment, 43 with non‐aminestic mild cognitive impairment and 17 with mild Alzheimer’s disease. For language assessment, the Grammar Reception Test – TROG2 was used as the main instrument, as well as the tests Northwestern Anagram Test, Token Test and the Object and Verb Naming Battery. For cognitive evaluation using the tests and functionality, the following tests were used: MoCA, Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test, Tracks A and B Test, Rey‐Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Stroop Test, Digit Extension Test, Learning Test Verbal de Rey FAS, Three Words Three Shapes Test. The functionality of the was assessed using the Lawton & Brody scale for Activities of Daily Living. Result Our results showed differences in performance among the control, CCL, and AD groups in the total number and the profile of correct answers according to the type of sentence tested (p<0.05). Sentences with zero anaphora structure discriminated the control group from CCLa and AD, as well as CCLna from AD; pronoun gender/number sentences discriminated controls from CCLa (p<0.05). These sentence types bring to evidence the effect of increased demand on working memory and executive functions on syntactic processing. Conclusion The use of the Grammar Reception Test ‐ TROG ‐ 2 instrument can be useful in the assessment of the elderly, serving as a reference to differentiate healthy aging from cognitive and language impairments. Patients with MCI already have difficulties in syntactic processing when syntactic complexity is increased, overloading working memory and executive functions. These difficulties are intensified in patients with AD.