COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a neurodegenerative disorder that involves degeneration at the level of the cerebral cortex. It has a poorly defined etiology, and currently, there is no cure for the disease. Objective: To understand, through a literature review, the cognitive impairments of elderly individuals with AD. Methods: A literature review was conducted using the Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library), LILACS, and ProQuest databases, with the descriptors 'Alzheimer's disease' AND 'cognition' AND 'elderly.' The guiding question for the research was: 'What are the cognitive impairments in elderly individuals with AD?' The inclusion criteria were articles written in Portuguese and English, with complete texts published between 2013 and 2023. Exclusion criteria included texts not fully addressing the guiding question, those published before 2013, incomplete texts, and texts in other languages. Results: One hundred and sixty articles were found in the databases, with four meeting the established criteria for inclusion. Conclusion: Cognitive impairments in elderly individuals with AD include memory, perception, reasoning, praxis, abstraction, attention, thinking, and episodic memory. Greater attention to the cognition of these elderly individuals is necessary for better prevention and to slow down the progression of the disease.