The stability of AQT processing speed, ADAS-Cog and MMSE during acetylcholinesterase inhibitor treatment in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the longitudinal stability of measures of cognition during treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AchEI) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
Cognitive status was measured in a cohort of 60 patients at 6 months after initiation of treatment with AchEI (baseline) and after an additional 6 months of treatment (endpoint). A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed (AQT), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), and MMSE were administered concurrently.


RESULTS
Correlations (rho) between age and AQT processing speed were non-significant, but were significant for ADAS-Cog and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). AQT and ADAS-Cog means did not differ significantly between baseline and endpoint. There was a small, significant reduction in MMSE point scores. Measures of stability (Spearman's rho) were moderate-to-high for all tests. Means for subgroups did not differ as a function of medication type.


CONCLUSIONS
AQT processing speed, ADAS-Cog, and MMSE measures proved stable during the second 6 months of treatment with AChEI.
Department of Communication Disorders, Boston University, Boston, USA. ehwiig@krii.com
E H
EH
Wiig
P
P
Annas
H
H
Basun
N
N
Andreasen
L
L
Lannfelt
H
H
Zetterberg
K
K
Blennow
L
L
Minthon
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins