Language and Communication Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of the Literature on the Progression, Prevention, and Mediation of Language Barriers Experienced by Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a significant societal problem with regard to the quality of life in the aging population worldwide (Alzheimer’s Association, 2021). One ability that is affected early on in the disease is language processing, which can result in feelings of isolation due to its significant impact on one’s relationships, overall communicative ability, and quality of life (Szatloczki et al., 2015). Thus, it is of great importance to identify evidence-based interventions and preventative measures, as well as communication strategies, helpful to patients and their caregivers. In this review of literature, we examined language difficulties pertaining to semantic verbal fluency, word finding, and discourse markers, while also identifying the neural mechanisms likely responsible (e.g., Arnoff et al., 2006; Chapman et al., 1998; Eriksson et al., 2015; Pakhomov et al., 2018). In addition, we present research on the theory of cognitive reserve as a preventative measure, with a special emphasis on the influence of bilingualism (Bialystok et al., 2007; Gold, 2016; Perani et al., 2017) and music training (Chaddock-Heyman et al., 2021; Lyu et al., 2018). The research supports the efficacy of various interactive music therapies to allow extended communication between caregivers and AD patients, especially since later life music therapy can help preserve or enhance memory and language ability in patients with moderate or severe AD (Clare et al., 2020; Lyu et al., 2018; Wong et al., 2019). Future research could further investigate the long-term effects and applications of language and music interventions. Importantly, incorporating increasingly diverse samples is necessary to increase the generalizability of the research described (Brewster et al., 2018, Ferretti et al., 2018)