title: Do neuropsychological tests detect preclinical Alzheimer's disease: individual-test versus cognitive-discrepancy score analyses.
abstract: Attempts to identify cognitive markers of a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have yielded inconsistent findings. The problem may stem in part from methodologies that are insensitive to potential subgroups within the at-risk, preclinical AD population (PCAD). The present study investigated the utility of asymmetric cognitive profiles in identifying individuals at risk for AD. Twenty elderly adults who were later diagnosed with AD (PCAD) and 20 matched control participants were compared on measures of cognitive asymmetry derived from difference scores on tests of verbal and visuospatial ability. Although both groups performed similarly on the individual tests, comparisons using difference scores revealed significantly larger discrepancies between naming and visuoconstruction skills in the PCAD group. The PCAD group also had a higher frequency of asymmetric cognitive profiles relative to a normative group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, California 92161, USA. mjacobson@vapop.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Dean C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Delis
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bondi
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Salmon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology