Feasibility of Predicting MCI/AD Using Neuropsychological Tests and Serum β-Amyloid

• Published in: International journal of alzheimer's disease 2011, Vol.2011 (2011), p.1-7
• Main Authors: Abdullah, Laila, Luis, Cheryl A., Ait-Ghezala, Ghania, Mouzon, Benoit, Keegan, Andrew P., Crawford, Fiona, Mullan, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-protein; Cognition disorders; Diagnosis; Neuropsychological tests; Physiological aspects
• ISSN: 2090-8024; 2090-0252; 2090-0252
• DOI: 10.4061/2011/786264

We examined the usefulness of brief neuropsychological tests and serum Aβ as a predictive test for detecting MCI/AD in older adults. Serum Aβ levels were measured from 208 subjects who were cognitively normal at enrollment and blood draw. Twenty-eight of the subjects subsequently developed MCI (n=18) or AD (n=10) over the follow-up period. Baseline measures of global cognition, memory, language fluency, and serum Aβ1–42 and the ratio of serum Aβ1–42/Aβ1–40 were significant predictors for future MCI/AD using Cox regression with demographic variables, APOE ε4, vascular risk factors, and specific medication as covariates. An optimal sensitivity of 85.2% and specificity of 86.5% for predicting MCI/AD was achieved using ROC analyses. Brief neuropsychological tests and measurements of Aβ1–42 obtained via blood warrants further study as a practical and cost effective method for wide-scale screening for identifying older adults who may be at-risk for pathological cognitive decline.