The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

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ArticleTitle	Deficient performance in construction task in patients with frontotemporal dementia
Language	J
AuthorList	Tomoyo Kobayashi¹⁾, Ryusuke Kenmochi¹⁾, Takuya Sato²⁾, Atsushi Sato²⁾, Toru Imamura¹⁾³⁾
Affiliation	¹⁾Department of Speech Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare ²⁾Division of Speech Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation, Niigata Rehabilitation Hospital ³⁾Department of Neurology, Niigata Rehabilitation Hospital
Publication	Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 31 (1), 47-55, 2015
Received	Jul 18, 2012
Accepted	Jun 5, 2014
Abstract	Objective: To investigate factors related to deficient performance in construction task in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Subjects: 9 FTD patients who scored 14/36 or more in the copy task of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and 9 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who were matched one-by-one for the scores of the Mini-Mental State examination (MMSE) and the copy task of the ROCF. Methods: We assessed two types of executive function when subjects copied the ROCF, that is, extraction and reproduction of configural elements of the figure and effective strategy of order in copying. Each result of the assessment was compared between FTD and AD patients. Results: The significant differences between the patient groups showed that extraction and reproduction of configural elements was preserved but strategy of order was ineffective in FTD patients. Conclusion: Executive dysfunction, especially the defective planning of effective order in copying a model, may cause deficient performance in construction task in FTD patients.
Keywords	frontotemporal dementia (FTD), construction task, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, executive dysfunction, strategy