Objective: Despite its importance for self-concept and self-esteem, relatively few studies have investigated autobiographical (personal life) memory in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The literature suggests that AD patients show extensive autobiographical memory impairment with a relative sparing of the earliest memories (Graham, KS et al., Neuropsychology 1997;11:77-89). The present study aimed to determine the extent and pattern of autobiographical memory impairment in patients with mild AD, and investigate the relationship between autobiographical and recent episodic and public remote memory.
Design: Cross-sectional.
Materials and Methods: Autobiographical Memory was assessed in 11 patients with mild AD (MiniMental State Exam=18-23) and 12 matched control using a modified version of the Autobiographical Memory Interview, assessing personal semantic and autobiographical incidents across three lifetime periods: childhood, early adulthood, recent life. Tests of recent episodic memory and a measure of public remote memory were also administered.
Results: Patients recalled significantly less personal semantic (U=9.5, p<0.0001) and incident memories (U=5.00, p<0.0001) compared to controls. Although AD patients were significantly impaired across lifetime periods there was evidence of a relative preservation of the most remote autobiographical memories. Performance on autobiographical memory was independent of public remote or recent episodic memory.
Conclusion: Even mild AD patients show a temporally extensive autobiographical memory deficit with a relative sparing of the most remote memories. Independence between autobiographical and public remote memory provides further evidence of the fractionation of remote memory.
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