Wandering and parietal signs in senile dementia of Alzheimer's type

Among a population of nursing home patients with a diagnosis of senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT), a subgroup was identified who often became lost and wandered even in familiar surroundings. This subgroup differed from the rest of the SDAT patients on tests of parietal function but not a generalized test of mental status. Thus, wandering in SDAT patients may be an indication of a specific parietal lobe involvement.