title: Social cognition in Alzheimer's disease: a separate construct contributing to dependence.
abstract: The extent to which social cognitive changes reflect a discrete constellation of symptoms dissociable from general cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unclear. Moreover, whether social cognitive symptoms contribute to disease severity and progression is unknown. The current multicenter study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between social cognition measured with six items from the Blessed Dementia Rating Scale, general cognition, and dependence in 517 participants with probable AD. Participants were monitored every 6 months for 5.5 years. Results from multivariate latent growth curve models adjusted for sex, age, education, depression, and recruitment site revealed that social cognition and general cognition were unrelated cross-sectionally and throughout time. However, baseline levels of each were related independently to dependence, and change values of each were related independently to change in dependence. These findings highlight the separability of social and general cognition in AD. Results underscore the relevance of considering social cognition when modeling disease and estimating clinical outcomes related to patient disability.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: sc2460@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Zahodne
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blacker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Sorbonne Université), Paris, France; UMRS 975, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France; Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d'Alzheimer, Paris, France; Centre de Références Démences Rares, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yaakov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cognition; Dependence; Social cognition