Language and dementia: examination of pragmatic abilities in Alzheimer's disease

This paper surveys what is known about the pragmatic abilities of patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT). The first part of the review is devoted to an examination of a series of parameters that allow investigators to characterise communicative competence. We examine global parameters concerning all types of discourse situations (communication efficiency, discourse coherence and cohesion), and specific parameters concerning monologues or dialogues (narrative competence, turn taking ability, speech acts, conversational repairs). In a second part, we present the hypotheses proposed to explain the modifications observed in the discourse of DAT patients. In the third part, the main methodological problems met in that domain are discussed.