TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Cornaggia, Cesare Maria
AU  -  Polita, Maria
AU  -  Viganò, Barbara
AU  -  Peroni, Federica
AU  -  Perin, Cecilia
AU  -  Beghi, Massimiliano
T1  -  Linguistic analysis in the differential diagnosis between cognitive 
impairment and functional cognitive impairment (depression): 
a pilot study
PY  -  2018
Y1  -  2018-07-01
DO  -  10.1708/2954.29695
JO  -  Rivista di Psichiatria
JA  -  Riv Psichiatr
VL  -  53
IS  -  4
SP  -  192
EP  -  198
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  2038-2502
Y2  -  2026/04/29
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1708/2954.29695
N2  -  SUMMARY. The differential diagnosis between cognitive impairment and functional cognitive impairment (depression) is complex and difficult, especially in the early stages of the disease. The aim of our study was to test linguistic analysis as a diagnostic tool to support clinical, and test-based diagnoses for this differential diagnosis. We enrolled 13 patients, requesting a diagnostic consultation in a Alzheimer Evaluation Unit. A provisional diagnosis through a neuropsychological evaluation (interview and neuropsychological tests) was made at baseline, while a definitive diagnosis was provided after six months, or, if not possible, after 12 months. The linguistic analysis was performed at T0 in blind by a linguist. Patients’ language was studied at linguistic (morphological, syntactical, lexical literal and textual) and conversational (verbiage and humor) level. The correspondence rate between the linguistic analysis at T0 and the definitive diagnosis was 76.9%, compared to 58.4% between the neuropsychological équipe analyses at T0 and definitive diagnosis. There is no single patognomonic phenomenon for cognitive impairment or depression, but rather a linguistic cluster can lead to a diagnosis with a fairly good reliability.
ER  -