Patterns of loss of basic activities of daily living in Alzheimer patients: A cross-sectional study of the French REAL cohort.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize loss of basic activities of daily living (BADL) in 687 Alzheimer's disease (AD) community-dwelling patients included in the French REAL cohort.


METHODS
Patients had mild to moderately severe AD, and the mean age was 77.8 years. Patterns of loss of the 6 BADL were described at inclusion using the Lawton scale.


RESULTS
With 6 binary BADL scores, each patient presented at inclusion a set of losses. For 53% of women, the sets of losses were included within each other or were identical, adding losses in physical ambulation, grooming, bathing, dressing, toilet and feeding, respectively. For 47% of men, a similar sequence was identified, with loss of dressing occurring secondly. A global cohesion of sets of losses was found for 87% of women and 86% of men. The Lawton scale is very useful for the assessment of AD patients.
Lechowski
Laurent
L
Service de Médecine Gériatrique, AP-HP, Hôpital Sainte-Périne, Paris, France. laurent.lechowski@spr.aphp.fr
Van Pradelles
Sophie
S
Le Crane
Marine
M
d'Arailh
Lydie
L
Tortrat
Danièle
D
Teillet
Laurent
L
Vellas
Bruno
B
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors