Articulatory agility in cognitive decline.

OBJECTIVE Motor speech disorders are believed to be uncommon in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, data from maximum performance tests of motor speech function in AD and related disorders are virtually nonexistent. The aim of this study was to make such data available. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sequential speech motion rate was analyzed in 236 memory clinic patients with different levels of cognitive functioning. RESULTS Sequential speech motion rate was moderately but significantly decreased in mild dementia in AD. About 10% of AD and mild cognitive impairment cases had markedly decreased rates. Rates were strongly reduced in progressive nonfluent aphasia, whereas semantic dementia did not differ from subjective cognitive impairment. Frontotemporal dementia had lower rates than AD. CONCLUSIONS A proportion of patients with cognitive decline has markedly reduced articulatory agility. The cause of this reduction in some patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild AD is unknown. Semantic dementia is not associated with impaired articulatory agility.