title: Testing cognitive function in elderly populations: the PROSPER study. PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For large scale follow up studies with non-demented patients in which cognition is an endpoint, there is a need for short, inexpensive, sensitive, and reliable neuropsychological tests that are suitable for repeated measurements. The commonly used Mini-Mental-State-Examination fulfils only the first two requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER), 5804 elderly subjects aged 70 to 82 years were examined using a learning test (memory), a coding test (general speed), and a short version of the Stroop test (attention). Data presented here were collected at dual baseline, before randomisation for active treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tests proved to be reliable (with test/retest reliabilities ranging from acceptable (r=0.63) to high (r=0.88) and sensitive to detect small differences in subjects from different age categories. All tests showed significant practice effects: performance increased from the first measurement to the first follow up after two weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normative data are provided that can be used for one time neuropsychological testing as well as for assessing individual and group change. Methods for analysing cognitive change are proposed.
authors.affiliation: University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Houx
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: G-J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Blauw
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Bollen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stott
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jukema
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaw
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norrie
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kamper
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.forename: A Edo
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Meinders
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Packard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Twomey
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cobbe
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Westendorp
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D017035:Pravastatin