title: Association between illness progression measures and total cost in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the associations between dependence and clinical measures of cognition, function and behaviour and total care cost using data from a longitudinal study in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female subjects between 50 and 85 years of age with mild to moderate AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subject dependence was assessed using the Dependence Scale (DS), cognition (ADAS-Cog, MMSE), function (DAD), behaviour (NPI) and resource utilization with the Resource Utilization in Dementia Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The repeated measures models confirmed a significant association between the DS and total care cost indicating an increase in cost with increasing dependence. A 1-unit increase in DS score was associated with a 28.60% increase in total care cost. Model 2 indicated that a one point change in MMSE, DAD and NPI is associated with 5.29%, 2.32% and 1.71% increase in total cost, respectively. Model 3 indicated that a one point change in ADAS-Cog, DAD and NPI is associated with a 1.74%, 2.42%and 1.62% increase in total cost, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies which prevent deterioration in clinical measures or delay dependence should result in total cost savings. The quantitative relationships observed should assist in the economic assessment of interventions which effect cognition, function, behaviour and dependence.
authors.affiliation: Loretto Lacey PhD, Lacey Solutions, Dublin Ireland. Email: loretto@laceysolutions.ie, Phone +353 831000 807.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niecko
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leibman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grundman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000191:economics*; D003071:Cognition; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires