title: The CERAD Neuropsychological Battery in Patients with Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnosis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is based on neuropsychological examination in addition to clinical symptoms and brain imaging. There is no simple, validated, cognitive tool available in screening for FTLD. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery (CERAD-NB) was originally devised to identify the early cognitive changes related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our aim was to investigate the utility of the CERAD-NB in FTLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with FTLD (n = 95) and AD (n = 90) were assessed with the CERAD-NB, Trail Making Test parts A and B and single-letter Phonemic Fluency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FTLD patients were more severely impaired in the Verbal Fluency subtest in the CERAD-NB and Trail Making Test part A compared to AD patients. In addition, AD patients were more impaired in memory subtests compared to FTLD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CERAD-NB may be a useful tool in screening for FTLD. Impaired performance in Verbal Fluency with moderately well-preserved Delayed Recall and Memory Tests may help in identifying patients with probable FTLD and discriminating FTLD from AD. Adding the Trail Making Test to the battery might enhance its value as a screening instrument for FTLD.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Finland.
authors.forename: Ramona M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Haanpää
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland ; Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Noora-Maria
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Suhonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Finland ; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moilanen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Finland ; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Sanna-Kaisa
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Herukka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Finland ; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Remes
keywords: Aphasia; CERAD neuropsychological battery; Cognition; Frontotemporal dementia; Frontotemporal lobar degeneration; Trail Making Test