title: Long-term changes in ADAS-cog: what is clinically relevant for disease modifying trials in Alzheimer?
abstract: With the development of long-term disease modifying trials, changes in ADAS-Cog at 18 months will rise certainly many questions. We decided to look in the Real.fr study at the links between changes in cognition, ADAS-Cog and function. A total of 346 Alzheimer's patients with ADAS-cog at entry and at 18 months. were eligible for this analysis. These patients were on average 77.44 years old and 254 (72.36%) were women. The great majority lived at home and about 93% were treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor at baseline. Thirty three patients (9%) had a gain of more than 2 points at the ADAS-cog at 18 months (Group I, improvement); 130 (38%) were considered as stable, the reference group (Group II ) characterized by a stability at the ADAS-cog: decline of 2 points to gain of 2 points, 112 subjects (32%) had a moderate decline between 2 and 7 at the ADAScog (Group III) and finally 71 subjects (21%) had a severe impairment more than seven points at the ADAS-cog. A loss of one Basic ADL is certainly highly relevant, and such a change was found at 18 months in more than half of the subjects, which is not surprising for a long-term evolution in mild to moderate AD. An impairment of more than 7 points at the ADAS-cog was found in 21% of the subjects at 18 months and was associated with loss.
authors.affiliation: B. Vellas, INSERM U. 558, Gerontopole, Pole Geriatrie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrieu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantet
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dartigues
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gauthier
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018697:Nootropic Agents