The Importance of Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive Part in Predicting Progress for Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer Disease

• Published in: Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology 2008-12, Vol.21 (4), p.261-267
• Main Authors: Rozzini, Luca, Vicini Chilovi, Barbara, Bertoletti, Erik, Conti, Marta, Delrio, Ilenia, Trabucchi, Marco, Padovani, Alessandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Disease Progression; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geriatrics; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Memory Disorders - psychology; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0891-9887; 1552-5708
• DOI: 10.1177/0891988708324940

The aim of this study was to verify the usefulness of Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), in screening participants at risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) among populations with amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI). 98 outpatients with aMCI were recruited. Participants were revaluated after 1 year: 44 (44.9%) were progressed to AD (progressors), while 54 (55.1%) did not convert (nonprogressors MCI). At baseline, cognitive performances were more impaired in progressors assessed by MMSE and by a neuropsychological battery. When tested with the ADAS-Cog subscale, the 2 groups of participants at baseline, progressors, and nonprogressors MCI, were significantly different regarding total score, memory, and nonmemory subitems. Considering a cutoff of 9.5 total score, adjusted for education, ADAS-Cog subscale showed a good performance (area under the curve = 0.67; sensitivity = 0.62%; specificity = 0.73%) in predicting conversion from aMCI to AD. Progressors aMCI were characterized at baseline by a greater cognitive impairment. ADAS-Cog subscale is a useful and brief cognitive assessment tool to screen aMCI participants converting to AD within 1 year.