title: Cognition, gender, and functional abilities in Alzheimer's disease: how are they related?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have investigated in detail which factors influence activities of daily (ADL) in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of cognitive, gender, and other factors on ADL in patients with mild to moderate AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is part of the Prospective Registry on Dementia in Austria (PRODEM) project, a multicenter dementia research project. A cohort of 221 AD patients (130 females; means: age 76 years, disease duration 34.4 months, MMSE 22.3) was included in a cross-sectional analysis. Everyday abilities were assessed with the Disability Assessment for Dementia scale, and cognitive functions with the CERAD plus neuropsychological test battery. Two models of multiple linear regressions were performed to find factors predicting functional decline, one entering demographical and disease related factors, and a joint model combining demographical and disease variables with neuropsychological scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-cognitive factors explained 18%, whereas the adding of neuropsychological variables explained 39% of variance. Poor figural and verbal memory, constructional abilities, old age, longer disease duration, depression, and male gender were independent risk factors for reduced ADL. Instrumental and basic ADL were predicted by similar factors, except gender (predicting only instrumental ADL) and phonological fluency (predictor of basic ADL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to demographical factors, disease duration, and depression, neuropsychological variables are valuable predictors of the functional status in AD in an early disease stage.
authors: Department of Neurology, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. thomas.benke@i-med.ac.at
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Benke
authors: Margarete
authors: M
authors: Delazer
authors: Günter
authors: G
authors: Sanin
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Schmidt
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Seiler
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Ransmayr
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Dal-Bianco
authors: Margarete
authors: M
authors: Uranüs
authors: Josef
authors: J
authors: Marksteiner
authors: Friedrich
authors: F
authors: Leblhuber
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Kapeller
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Bancher
authors: Reinhold
authors: R
authors: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001317:Austria; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014145:Trail Making Test