Introduction: Evaluation of the working memory (WM) permits analysis of the degree of anterograde amnesia and fixation deficit present in patients with Alzheimer s disease (AD). Complex activities of everyday life (AEL) are also affected early. There is a close relation between the degree of cognitive deterioration and loss of functional competence in AEL.
Objective: To analyze the degree of memory loss and performance in carrying out complex AEL in patients with AD and mild cognitive disorder.
Patients and methods: Evaluation of functional disorder, using Pfeffer s functional activity questionnaire (FAQ), and cognitive evaluation, using the WM examination protocol in a group of 36 patients.
Results: In the total MT (4.2+/-5.7) there were significant differences between patients with age associated memory impairment (AAMI) (11+/-7) and possible EA (3.2+/-4.6) and between AAMI and probable AD (2.8+/-4.8). The functional evaluation of the AEL (FAQ) gave a mean of 8.5+/-7.1. There were significant differences between probable AD (11+/-8) and possible EA (6+/-4) with the group AAMI 1+/-1.8. There was significant correlation between FAQ and total WM ( 0.70, p= 0.0001). It was found that patients with high FAQ scores had lower total WM scores.
Conclusion: FAQ and WM have high correlation and are useful instruments for the evaluation of patients with cognitive deterioration at the initial stages.