Controlled and automatic information processing in senile dementia: A review

Abstract

The evidence on cognitive decline in senile dementia is reviewed with respect to the distinction between controlled and automatic processing. It is argued that controlled processing, which requires the attentional resources of the individual, declines in early senile dementia. However, automatic processing, which does not require attentional resources, is well maintained until late in the disorder. Implicationsofthis view are drawn for the developmentofeffective screening instruments which can be used for the early detectionofdementia in the general population. © 1986, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.