A computational model of activities performance decrease in Alzheimer's disease

This article presents a computational model and a simulation of the decrease of performance in daily living activities due to Alzheimer's disease. The framework offered by the cognitive architecture ACT-R is used to develop the model. Typical errors committed in performing tasks by Alzheimer patients are modelled thanks to different parametrisable memory mechanisms of ACT-R and the disease evolution is represented by the increase of errors in the execution of the task. The model is applied to a cooking activity. Simulation of 100 subjects shows results similar to those realised in a standardized assessment with human subjects. We conclude on the need to introduce executive mechanisms in the modelling of behaviours associated to people with cognitive deficits.