Apraxie et maladie d’Alzheimer : revue et perspectives

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the progressive impairment of cognitive functions. Whereas the study of amnesia, aphasia, agnosia and dysexecutive impairments to a lesser extent has been well documented, apraxia has received little attention [1]. The aim of this review is to fill this gap by presenting an overview of the praxis impairment, which typically appears in the course of the disease. This review focuses on transitive gestures (i.e., tool use tasks) and intransitive gestures (i.e., symbolic and meaningless). On the basis of these results, we propose interpretations as to the nature of the underlying mechanisms impaired by the disease. Finally, we provide some answers to help clinicians to better understand and assess the apraxic disorders in Alzheimer’s disease