Differentiation between amnestic‐mild cognitive impairment and early‐stage Alzheimer's disease using the Frontal Assessment Battery test

Background: Previous research has described the executive dysfunction that occurs in patients with amnestic‐mild cognitive impairments (A‐MCI) and early‐stage Alzheimer's disease (EAD), which are comparatively similar stages of dementia. The aim of the present cross‐sectional study is to evaluate executive dysfunction using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) screening test in two groups and to investigate the interaction with other cognitive impairments. Methods: Among 170 consecutive patients with Alzheimer's disease or A‐MCI, we recruited 48 subjects who were under 75 years of age and had been diagnosed as having either A‐MCI or EAD. We then compared the total and the subtest scores of the mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) and the FAB between the two groups. Moreover, we investigated the statistical interactive associations of the FAB subtest scores with the influential MMSE subtest scores or the diagnosis (A‐MCI or EAD). Results: No significant differences in the age, sex ratio, duration of illness, and education years were observed between the two groups. However, significant differences in the FAB total and subtest scores (conflicting instructions and go/no‐go) were found between the two groups. Furthermore, significant differences in the MMSE total and subtest scores (orientation, memory delayed recall, and attention and calculation) were also noted between the two groups. In a generalized linear model analysis, only two FAB subtest scores (conflicting instructions and go/no‐go) were significantly influenced by the diagnosis (A‐MCI or EAD) in a manner that was independent of the interaction with the orientation or memory delayed recall. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that the FAB total score and subtest scores reflecting interference performances (conflicting instructions and go/no‐go) significantly declined in patients with EAD, independent of the disorientation and memory disorder. Such characteristics of neuropsychological screening test scores may be useful to clinicians for differentiating EAD and A‐MCI at bedside.     

轻度认知功能障碍患者的神经心理学研究

目的 探讨轻度认知功能障碍(MCI)患者神经心理学的特点. 方法 对42例MCI患者和55例健康对照者进行多项神经心理学检查,包括简易精神状态检查量表(MMSE)、蒙特利尔认知评估量表(MoCA)、临床痴呆评定量表(CDR)、语言流畅性测验(RVR)、韦氏智力测验(WAIS-RC)[包括数字广度测验(DS)、积木测验(BD)、相似性测验]、韦氏记忆测验(WMS-R)(包括逻辑记忆、联想学习、视觉再认、图片回忆)、日常生活能力量表(ADL),比较2组患者上述量表评分和MMSE、MoCA量表各亚项评分的差异.结果 与对照者比较,MCI患者MMSE、MoCA总分和RVR、WAIS-RC、WMS-R分测验,MoCA量表各亚项(地点定向力除外),MMSE量表中计算与注意、延迟回忆两亚项评分较低,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05).结论 MCI患者不仅记忆受损,其计算与注意力、命名、视空间结构能力、执行功能也可受损,尤以延迟回忆、计算与注意力受损明显.MoCA涵盖了重要的认知领域,能较全面评估MCI患者的认知功能,值的临床推广应用.     

Screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) utilizing combined mini-mental-cognitive capacity examinations for identifying dementia prodromes

OBJECTIVE: To test correctness of results when combining Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination (CCSE) for identifying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among non-demented elderly subjects at risk for developing dementia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted among consecutively referred volunteers with memory complaints to a research out-patient clinic. Two cognitive screening tests (MMSE and CCSE) were performed according to established protocol. Resulting combined screening test (termed by acronym as CMC) combined the non-overlapping test items derived from both MMSE and CCSE. Conversion to dementia at follow-up served as the 'gold-standard' for evaluating correctness of CMC for identifying MCI. RESULTS: Of 351 subjects completing cognitive assessments and meeting requirements for study protocol, 84 (23.9%) developed dementia of different types within 3-6 years (3.89 +/- 2.17) of follow-up. Among these, 47 met criteria for probable Alzheimer disease (AD), 22 for probable vascular dementia (VaD), 12 for mixed AD/VaD and three for probable frontotemporal dementia. When final diagnosis of AD was used as the 'gold standard' for testing correctness of MCI identified by cognitive screening tests, sensitivities of MMSE, CCSE and CMC for identifying MCI were relatively 61.0%, 74.3% and 83.1% with minimum specificity set at 80%. When diagnosis of all types of dementia was used as the standard for testing predictive correctness of MCI, CCSE emerged as an optimal MCI screening test. CONCLUSION: Combining the CCSE and MMSE screening tests resulted in higher sensitivity than was achieved by MMSE alone and maintained specificity at comparable levels for identifying MCI. The results confirmed that CMC has optimal correctness and utility as a brief cognitive test for screening MCI as a prodrome for dementia among non-demented elderly populations.     

Neuropsychological testing and assessment for dementia

This evidence-based review examines the utility of brief cognitive tests and neuropsychological testing (NPT) in the detection and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. All patients presenting with cognitive complaints are recommended to have a brief screening test administered to document the presence and severity of memory/cognitive deficits. There is fair evidence to support the use of a range of new screening tests that can detect MCI and mild dementia with higher sensitivity (≥80%) than the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). NPT should be part of a clinically integrative approach to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of dementia. It should be applied selectively to address specific clinical and diagnostic issues including: 1) The distinction between normal cognitive functioning in the aged, MCI and early dementia: there is fair evidence that NPT can document the presence of specific diagnostic criteria and provide additional useful information on the pattern of memory/cognitive impairment. 2) The evaluation of risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) or other types of dementia in persons with MCI: there is fair evidence that NPT measures or profiles can predict progression to dementia (predictive accuracy ranges from ∼80 to 100%, sensitivities from 53 to 80%, and specificities from 67 to 99%). 3) Differential diagnosis: There is fair evidence that NPT can complement clinical history and neuroimaging in determining the dementia etiology. Different dementia types have distinguishable NPT profiles though these may be stage-dependent, and increased sensitivity may be at the expense of specificity. 4) When NPT is part of a comprehensive assessment, which also entails clinical interviews and consideration of other clinical data, there is good evidence that it can contribute to management decisions in MCI and dementia, including the determination of retained and impaired cognitive abilities, their functional and vocational impact, and opportunities for cognitive rehabilitation.     

Psychiatric symptoms/syndromes in elderly persons with mild cognitive impairment. Data from a cross-sectional study

Objective – This study examined the prevalence of psychiatric syndromes and symptoms in elderly persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Methods – Data from a population-based study (the Kungsholmen Project) were used. All subjects with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤23 and a comparable random of those ≥24 were selected for further examination. Physicians carefully examined the included persons and those affected with dementia were excluded. The rest were stratified into 14 groups according to age and level of education. The mean MMSE score was calculated for each group and those subjects with scores 1SD below the age- and education-specific mean were classified as MCI. A structured psychiatric interview was performed and diagnoses of depression, anxiety and psychosis were made according to DSM-III-R.
Results – Being suspicious was the only symptom and being affected by an anxiety syndrome was the only diagnosis found to be associated with MCI. The association with suspiciousness might reflect the feeling of losing control that probably accompanies the loss of cognitive function experienced by the person. The association with anxiety syndromes might be a result of the fact that physical disorders have been reported to be more common in persons with cognitive impairment, as well as in persons with anxiety syndromes.
Conclusion – The results of this study suggest that the psychiatric syndromes present in MCI might be related to MCI per se . Additionally, it might reflect a developing dementia or a concomitant physical disorder.     

Influence of hematoma volume and age on cognitive functions and ADL after putaminal hemorrhage

Background and objectiveAfter cerebral hemorrhage, cognitive functions and activities of daily living (ADL) are affected by various factors, including hematoma volume and patient age. In the present study, we investigated the effect of age and hematoma volume on cognitive functions and on ADL.MethodsThe sample comprised 274 patients (183 men and 91 women; mean age 58.2 ± 12.5 years) with putaminal hemorrhage who were hospitalized in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. Hematoma volume was estimated from computed tomography imaging at stroke onset. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices test (RCPM) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at hospital admission, while ADL score was assessed at discharge using the Functional Independence Measure motor subscale (FIM-M). In the present study, we classified the patients into six groups according to whether they were non-elderly or elderly (cutoff age, 60 years) and whether their hematoma was small, medium, or large (cutoff volumes, 20 and 40 mL, respectively). Subsequently, the scores on the RCPM, MMSE, and FIM-M were compared among the groups.ResultsIn both age groups, patients with a larger hematoma volume had lower RCPM and MMSE scores. Patients <60 years old exhibited different trends in their RCPM and MMSE scores, such that the RCPM score showed a step-wise decrease according to hematoma volume, while a difference in the MMSE score was only observed at the 20 mL boundary. Most of the younger patients (<60 years of age) attained high FIM-M scores at discharge, as long as their hematoma volume was either medium or small (<40 mL). This age group had higher RCPM scores on admission, which may have contributed to their higher FIM-M scores on discharge.ConclusionsIn the present study, we demonstrated that advancing age increases the effect of hematoma volume on RCPM and MMSE scores and identified differences in the effects observed on these two scores. Thus, it may be important to use the RCPM alongside the MMSE for patient assessment.     

Japanese version of the Frontal Assessment Battery for dementia

The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) was developed as a short bedside cognitive and behavioral battery to assess frontal lobe functions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the FAB to measure cognitive dysfunction in patients with dementia. We studied 25 normal subjects and 105 patients with Alzheimer's disease, n=58, vascular dementia, n=24, and frontotemporal dementia, n=23. The neuropsychological test battery included the FAB, the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), a memory test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Keio version: KWCST). Patients with dementia performed significantly more poorly than controls on all tests. The FAB showed a good correlation with other cognitive measures: MMSE (r=0.725), KWCST number of categories completed (r=0.654), KWCST number of perseveration errors (r=-0.484), and memory test (r=0.643). Patients with more severe Clinical Dementia Rating scores showed lower scores on the FAB. There was good inter-rater reliability (r=0.972), test-retest reliability (r=0.769), and internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient alpha=0.715). The FAB is a valid and reliable screening test to evaluate cognitive dysfunction among patients with dementia.     

A short neuropsychologic and cognitive evaluation of frontotemporal dementia

Objective

To elaborate a brief but efficient neuropsychological assessment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), selecting the most specific and sensitive cognitive and behavioural items for distinguish between AD and FTD in the earlier dementia stages.

Methods

Retrospective study with three groups, 35 patients with FTD, 46 with AD and 36 normal subjects, were administered the MMSE, FAB, Tower of London and Stoop's test along with a 98 items behavioural and cognitive questionnaire. The most sensitive items were selected and validated internally for diagnosis by lineal discriminant analysis.

Results

From the 98 items in the questionnaire, 29 showed significant discriminatory power. Non-cognitive symptoms with higher odd-ratio for FTD compared to AD were impairment in social behaviour (disinhibition, aggressiveness), loss of insight and inappropriate acts. Language disorders, such as echolalia, verbal apraxia or aggramatism, dominate in the cognitive profile of FTD. FAB was confirmed as the best cognitive instrument to differentiate FTD and AD. A linear discriminant function with the combination of the FAB score and the items from our questionnaire with higher OR for FTD accurately classified 97% of individuals.

Conclusions

The neuropsychological tests allow the differentiation between FTD and AD. The combination of FAB test with the assessment of key behavioural and cognitive symptoms appears helpful in this distinction.     

蒙特利尔认知评价量表(中文版)在轻度认知损害诊断及进展过程中的作用

目的研究蒙特利尔认知评价量表(MoCA)中文版在轻度认知损害(MCI)诊断筛查中的作用,评价认知功能在疾病进展过程中的临床意义。方法对年龄、性别、文化程度构成无统计学差异的两组受试者(正常对照组29例、MCI组28例)进行MoCA和简易智能状态检查量表(MMSE)测试,以其总成绩及各单项成绩作为基线成绩,观察MoCA和MMSE在筛查MCI中的作用,并比较两种量表对筛查轻度认知损害的敏感性、特异性的差异。于初次筛查后12个月对两组受试者进行再次测试,并与基线成绩进行配对t检验,比较前后测试成绩间的差异及各单项成绩对预测疾病进展的作用。结果 MoCA和MMSE对鉴别正常老龄化和轻度认知损害均具有初步筛查作用,MoCA量表中的视空间执行功能(t=2.151,P=0.036)、抽象(t=2.787,P=0.009)、定向(t=3.162,P=0.003)、记忆(t=4.704,P=0.000)等单项测试成绩,两组间差异具有统计学意义;以26分为分界值,MoCA和MMSE诊断MCI的敏感度分别为89.29%和10.71%,特异度为82.76%和100%,MoCA诊断敏感性显著高于MMSE。MCI组患者在12个月后的随访测试中各项成绩均略有下降,其中MoCA总成绩(t=6.454,P=0.000)、视空间执行功能(t=5.610,P=0.000)、语言(t=4.954,P=0.000)测试成绩,复查前后差异有统计学意义。结论 MoCA对轻度认知损害的诊断敏感性高于MMSE,其中视空间执行功能、抽象、定向、记忆各单项测试成绩具有诊断价值;MoCA总评分、视空间执行功能、语言等项成绩复查后降低,对轻度认知损害向阿尔茨海默病转化具有提示作用。     

Brief screening for mild cognitive impairment in elderly outpatient clinic: validation of the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief cognitive screening tool with high sensitivity for screening patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The authors examined the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the MoCA (MoCA-K) in elderly outpatients. The MoCA-K, a Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, and neuropsychological batteries were administered to 196 elderly persons (mild Alzheimer's disease [AD] = 44, MCI = 37, normal controls [NC] = 115). MoCA-K scores were highly correlated with those of MMSE and CDR. Using a cutoff score of 22/23, the MoCA-K had an excellent sensitivity of 89% and a good specificity of 84% for screening MCI. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good. The results obtained show that the MoCA-K is brief, reliable, and suitable for use as a screening tool to screen MCI patients in elderly outpatient clinic settings.     

Predictors of cognitive impairment in an early stage Parkinson's disease cohort

The impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) dementia is substantial and has major functional and socioeconomic consequences. Early prediction of future cognitive impairment would help target future interventions. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), and fluency tests were administered to 486 patients with PD within 3.5 years of diagnosis, and the results were compared with those from 141 controls correcting for age, sex, and educational years. Eighteen‐month longitudinal assessments were performed in 155 patients with PD. The proportion of patients classified with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia varied considerably, depending on the MoCA and MMSE thresholds used. With the MoCA total score at screening threshold, 47.7%, 40.5%, and 11.7% of patients with PD were classified with normal cognition, MCI, and dementia, respectively; by comparison, 78.7% and 21.3% of controls had normal cognition and MCI, respectively. Cognitive impairment was predicted by lower education, increased age, male sex, and quantitative motor and non‐motor (smell, depression, and anxiety) measures. Longitudinal data from 155 patients with PD over 18 months showed significant reductions in MoCA scores, but not in MMSE scores, with 21.3% of patients moving from normal cognition to MCI and 4.5% moving from MCI to dementia, although 13.5% moved from MCI to normal; however, none of the patients with dementia changed their classification. The MoCA may be more sensitive than the MMSE in detecting early baseline and longitudinal cognitive impairment in PD, because it identified 25.8% of those who experienced significant cognitive decline over 18 months. Cognitive decline was associated with worse motor and non‐motor features, suggesting that this reflects a faster progressive phenotype. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society     

Clinical application of the Polish adaptation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test in screening for cognitive impairment

Background and purposeThe Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test is a brief cognitive screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of MoCA and compare it with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the early detection of cognitive decline in MCI.Material and methodsA group of 115 subjects (36 meeting DSM-IV criteria for Alzheimer disease (AD) [Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 1], 42 meeting Petersen's criteria for MCI [CDR = 0.5], and 37 cognitively intact controls [CDR = 0]) was recruited for the study in the university-based Alzheimer out-patient clinic. All participants underwent general medical, neurological, and psychiatric examinations. The MoCA, the MMSE, CDR and the short (15-item) version of the Geriatric Depression Scale were also applied.ResultsBoth MCI and AD groups exhibited impaired performance on MoCA compared to controls. Polish versions of the MMSE and MoCA tests were comparable in discriminating mild dementia from both MCI and control groups. The Polish version of the MoCA test performed marginally better than MMSE in discriminating MCI from controls. We propose to use the MoCA test to screen for MCI using an optimal cut-off score of 24 and to screen for dementia using a cut-off score of 19.ConclusionsThe Polish version of the MoCA seems effective in the detection of deteriorated cognitive performance and appropriate for differentiating impaired from preserved cognitive function in a Polish population.     

Improvement of Screening Accuracy of Mini-Mental State Examination for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Non-Alzheimer's Disease Dementia by Supplementation of Verbal Fluency Performance

Objective

This study aimed to investigate whether the supplementation of Verbal Fluency: Animal category test (VF) performance can improve the screening ability of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia and their major subtypes.

Methods

Six hundred fifty-five cognitively normal (CN), 366 MCI [282 amnestic MCI (aMCI); 84 non-amnestic MCI (naMCI)] and 494 dementia [346 Alzheimer''s disease (AD); and 148 non-Alzheimer''s disease dementia (NAD)] individuals living in the community were included (all aged 50 years and older) in the study.

Results

The VF-supplemented MMSE (MMSE+VF) score had a significantly better screening ability for MCI, dementia and overall cognitive impairment (MCI plus dementia) than the MMSE raw score alone. MMSE+VF showed a significantly better ability than MMSE for both MCI subtypes, i.e., aMCI and naMCI. In the case of dementia subtypes, MMSE+VF was better than the MMSE alone for NAD screening, but not for AD screening.

Conclusion

The results support the usefulness of VF-supplementation to improve the screening performance of MMSE for MCI and NAD.     

Comparative accuracies of two common screening instruments for classification of Alzheimer's disease,mild cognitive impairment,and healthy aging

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare the utility and diagnostic accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a clinical cohort.MethodsThree hundred twenty-one AD, 126 MCI, and 140 older adults with healthy cognition (HC) were evaluated using the MMSE, the MoCA, a standardized neuropsychologic battery according to the Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-NB), and an informant-based measure of functional impairment, the Dementia Severity Rating Scale (DSRS). Diagnostic accuracy and optimal cut-off scores were calculated for each measure, and a method for converting MoCA to MMSE scores is presented.ResultsThe MMSE and MoCA offer reasonably good diagnostic and classification accuracy as compared with the more detailed CERAD-NB; however, as a brief cognitive screening measure, the MoCA was more sensitive and had higher classification accuracy for differentiating MCI from HC. Complementing the MMSE or the MoCA with the DSRS significantly improved diagnostic accuracy.ConclusionThe findings support recent data indicating that the MoCA is superior to the MMSE as a global assessment tool, particularly in discerning earlier stages of cognitive decline. In addition, we found that overall diagnostic accuracy improves when the MMSE or MoCA is combined with an informant-based functional measure. Finally, we provide a reliable and easy conversion of MoCA to MMSE scores. However, the need for MCI-specific measures is still needed to increase the diagnostic specificity between AD and MCI.     

The reliability and validity of the mini-mental state examination in the elderly croatian population

Aim: The aim of this study was standardization and validation of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the general Croatian aging population. Methods: Three-hundred and forty-four participants underwent the MMSE test, 217 cognitively healthy subjects without neurological and psychiatric disorders and 127 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Results: The optimal cutoff point for screening of the general Croatian population (cognitively healthy vs. MCI and dementia) is 26/27; in the Croatian population aged ≥65 years, the cutoff point is 24/25, whereas for screening of highly educated persons (≥14 years of education) aged ≥65 years a higher cutoff point should be used (26/27). Conclusions: MMSE results when standardized and validated in a certain population might better contribute to recognition of the individuals at risk that should be directed to dementia outpatient clinics.     

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment: validity and utility in a memory clinic setting.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively validate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in a UK memory clinic. METHOD: We administered the MoCA and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to 32 subjects fulfilling diagnostic criteria for dementia, to 23 subjects fulfilling diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to 12 memory clinic comparison subjects, at baseline and then at 6-month follow-up. Clinical diagnoses for dementia and MCI were made according to ICD-10 and Petersen criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of both measures were assessed for detection of MCI and dementia. RESULTS: With a cut-off score of 26, the MMSE had a sensitivity of 17% to detect subjects with MCI, whereas the MoCA detected 83%. The MMSE had a sensitivity of 25% to detect subjects with dementia, whereas the MoCA detected 94%. Specificity for the MMSE was 100%, and specificity for the MoCA was 50%. Of subjects with MCI, 35% developed dementia within 6 months, and all scored less than 26 points on the MoCA at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The MoCA is a useful brief screening tool for the detection of mild dementia or MCI in subjects scoring over 25 points on the MMSE. In patients already diagnosed with MCI, the MoCA helps identify those at risk of developing dementia at 6-month follow-up.     

蒙特利尔认知评估量表在轻度认知功能障碍筛查中的应用

目的 探讨蒙特利尔认知评估量表(MoCA)在轻度认知功能障碍(MCI)患者筛查中的应用.方法 应用简易精神状态检查量表(MMSE)、MoCA对32例MCI患者和50例健康对照者进行神经心理评估,比较二者筛查MCI的效果.结果 以26分为分界值,MoCA筛查MCI的敏感性为96.87%、特异性为76%,MMSE筛查MCI的敏感性为56.25%、特异性为96%;MoCA中除抽象思维、地点定向两项外,其余各亚项的评分在MCI组和对照组间差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05):MMSE中仅计算与注意力、延迟回忆两项在MCI组和对照组间差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),其余各项差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 MoCA为高敏感性的MCI筛查工具,能全面评估MCI患者的认知功能.且可用于筛查MMSE得分正常的MCI患者.     

Validation of the Test Your Memory (F-TYM Test) in a French Memory Clinic Population

The Test Your Memory (TYM) test has been proposed for screening dementia. We present a French version and its validation in memory clinics. F-TYM was administered to 201 patients with memory complaints visiting five secondary referral hospital centers. Final diagnosis was dementia in 34%, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 32%, non-amnestic MCI in 11%, absence of cognitive disorder in 23% and F-TYM scores were respectively (M ± SD) 30.9 ± 7.6, 40.5 ± 6.3, 44.3 ± 4.5 and 43.5 ± 6.6 (p < .0001). F-TYM showed high correlation with MMSE (r = .78), excellent internal consistency, no effect of educational level, sex, or mood but a significant effect of age (p = .004). A F-TYM score ≤ 39 had 0.90 sensitivity and 0.70 specificity for diagnosis of dementia. F-TYM was unable to discriminate MCI and patients without cognitive disorders. F-TYM could be proposed for screening of dementia in patients with memory complaints.     

White matter lesions - age-adjusted values for cognitively healthy and demented subjects

OBJECTIVES: To develop age-adjusted norms for white matter lesions (WML) and to differentiate dementia from mild cognitive impairment and normal aging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 240 patients underwent a comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological and MRI examination. A scale was developed quantify WML in anatomically defined regions by rating size and frequency. FLAIR sequences were used to determine a global and a frontal score. The scores were correlated with the psychometric test results and the final clinical diagnosis: cognitively normal (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD). Age-adjusted curves for WML scores were calculated by means of a non-parametic smoothing method. RESULTS: WML scores of the whole cerebrum and the frontal lobe were significantly increased in vascular dementia as compared to CN, MCI and AD. Individual WML scores correlated significantly with age and neuropsychological test results. For the age range 55-72, the WML scores of VD were significantly different from those of CN, MCI and AD. CONCLUSIONS: Age-corrected WML load was significantly higher in vascular dementia as compared to MCI, AD and cognitively normals over a wide age range.     

脑白质病变相关性轻度认知功能障碍患者神经心理学特征分析

目的观察脑白质病变(WML)对轻度认知功能损害(mild cognitive impairment,MCI)患者神经心理学的影响。方法 WML-MCI患者和健康对照者进行常规核磁共振及神经心理学检查,观察WML对MCI患者神经心理学的影响,并对其机制进行探讨。结果 WML-MCI组与对照组相比,高血压、糖尿病和冠心病比例明显增高;词语流畅性测验、积木测验和画钟测验评分均明显降低(P<0.05);而2组间MMSE、数字广度测验和词语延迟回忆测验评分无明显差异。结论 WML影响MCI患者的认知功能,主要表现为视空间及执行功能。血管危险因素是MCI发病的危险因素。