title: Scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment as a predictor of cognitive decline in healthy elderly volunteers: a 6-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in healthy elderly people predicts cognitive decline 6 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elderly care research unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy elderly people who were part of a volunteer panel of research subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scopolamine 0.2 mg administered subcutaneously at baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive drug research computerized cognitive testing battery pre- and post-scopolamine, with repeat testing over 6 years later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  16/24 subjects were retested. Although marked decrements in cognitive functioning were seen with scopolamine, there was little change in performance over 6 years, and no significant association was seen between scopolamine-induced decrement and change over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The scopolamine challenge test is not likely to play a role in the preclinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Thornhill Research Unit, Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wesnes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D019954:Neurobehavioral Manifestations / Q000187:drug effects*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012016:Reference Values; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D012601:Scopolamine