A psychological study on the mechanisms of disorientation and assessment in elderly people with neurocognitive disorders / dementia

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04406
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Osamu 上智大学, 総合人間科学部, 教授 (60282787)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 見当識障害 / 認知機能低下 / 神経心理学的検査 / アセスメント

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate the neuropsychological mechanisms of disorientation, I examined statistically the relationship between disorientation and other cognitive functions in 320 patients (109 males and 211 females, mean age 80.36 years) who visited an outpatient memory loss clinic (outpatient dementia clinic) with a chief complaint of cognitive decline and who underwent neuropsychological testing by the applicant. The results suggest that recent memory, which is often impaired in dementia, plays a major role in the development of disorientation and, in particular, may have a significant influence on the development of temporal disorientation. With regard to disorientation fo place, the results suggest that in addition to recent memory and attention/working memory, language, and abstract thinking may also be involved in its development.

Free Research Field

老年臨床心理学、臨床神経心理学、臨床心理測定学、リハビリテーション心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日常生活の自立に大きな影響を与える見当識障害の神経心理学的なメカニズムの理解に資する本研究は、今後の認知症の病態理解に関する研究のみらず、高次脳機能障害における見当識障害の神経心理学的メカニズムの解明にも役立てることができるという意義がある。