Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive inhibition processes in a population with Alzheimer's disease

Inhibition allows humans to ignore secondary stimuli or inappropriate actions (Bjorklund and Harnishfeger, 1995). This process is essential for human functioning, since it allows us to control cognitive and behavioral performance (Rouch et al., 2019). Conversely, inhibition disorders can lead to an excess of information in working memory or to disinhibition of behaviors. In fact, inhibition is one of the cognitive functions most affected in the different stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD; Amieva et al., 2004). In 2021, during COVID-19, between 30 and 35 million people suffered from AD (WHO). This context had repercussions on the cognitive functions of these people. However, no study has looked at the impact that the context of the pandemic had on the inhibition capacities of people suffering from AD in Quebec. The research hypothesis is that performance in inhibition tests in the AD population will be lower since the COVID-19 pandemic. Health measures have created a context of isolation, where practicing cognitive activities to maintain inhibition performance was difficult. In addition, increased stress is a factor that influences inhibition. In order to determine whether the context of the pandemic has repercussions on inhibition in the AD population, a comparison between the results of the meta-analysis by Kaiser et al. (2018) and the results of a standard neuropsychological battery and a series of tests assessing inhibition will be carried out. Subsequently, participants (with the help of a relative) will answer a qualitative semi-structured questionnaire.