title: Diagnostic validity of the Alzheimer's disease functional assessment and change scale in mild cognitive impairment and mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Alzheimer's Disease Functional Assessment and Change Scale (ADFACS) is a functional assessment instrument widely used in clinical research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the diagnostic and concurrent validity of the Spanish version of this scale and to describe the functional deficit pattern for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ADFACS, the Interview for Deterioration in Daily Living Activities in Dementia (IDDD), and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were administered to 146 control subjects (CS) and 165 patients (67 MCI and 98 AD). Nonparametric tests were used to compare the diagnostic groups. Cronbach's α and correlations with the MMSE and the IDDD were calculated. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ADFACS had a high internal consistency (α = 0.95). Three cutoff points of 1, 4, and 17 were provided to separate CS and MCI patients, MCI and mild AD patients, and mild AD and moderate AD patients, respectively. The ADFACS strongly correlated with functional (IDDD, 0.927) and cognitive (MMSE, 0.747) measures. A similar pattern of dysfunction, but in different grades, was found for the MCI and AD groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ADFACS is a reliable, valid, and sensitive instrument to assess functional abilities; it is useful in dementia assessment for elderly populations.
authors.affiliation: Service of Neurology and Section of Behavioral Neurology and Dementias, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Manero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casals-Coll
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Benavides
authors.forename: O N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-de los Reyes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Badenes
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Molinuevo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Barquero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antúnez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Parra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frank-García
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blesa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peña-Casanova
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index