title: Trajectories of Alzheimer disease-related cognitive measures in a longitudinal sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The delineation of the relative temporal trajectories of specific cognitive measures associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important for evaluating preclinical markers and monitoring disease progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We characterized the temporal trajectories of measures of verbal episodic memory, short-term visual memory, and mental status using data from 895 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) immediate recall was the first measure to decline, followed by CVLT delayed recall. However, further along the disease progression scale, CVLT delayed recall and visual memory changed more rapidly than CVLT immediate recall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings reconcile reports of early changes in immediate recall with greater reliance on delayed recall performance in clinical settings. Moreover, the utility of cognitive markers in evaluating AD progression depends on the stage of cognitive decline, suggesting that optimal endpoints in therapeutic trials may vary across different stages of the disease process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: murat.bilgel@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilgel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jedynak
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Resnick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; California verbal learning test; Disease progression score; Memory