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Neuropsychological deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease in the very-old: Discrepancies in raw vs. standardized scores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2003

MARK W. BONDI
Affiliation:
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
WES S. HOUSTON
Affiliation:
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
DAVID P. SALMON
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences
JODY COREY-BLOOM
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences
ROBERT KATZMAN
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences
LEON J. THAL
Affiliation:
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences
DEAN C. DELIS
Affiliation:
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Abstract

The profiles of neuropsychological deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Young-Old (M age < 70) and Very-Old (M age > 80) patients were compared, along with possible modifying effects of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on these profiles. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to the two AD patient groups (Young-Old: n = 33; Very-Old: n = 48) and their respective age-matched normal control (NC) groups who remained free of dementia on follow-up examinations over a 1 to 10 year period (Young-Old: n = 43; Very-Old: n = 36). AD and NC groups did not differ in education levels or gender distributions. Young-Old AD and Very-Old AD groups were comparable in education, gender, dementia severity, and disease duration. Results showed that both AD groups achieved comparable raw scores on all the neuropsychological measures. However, when scores were standardized on the basis of performance of their respective NC groups (i.e., age-corrected z scores), Very-Old AD patients significantly outperformed Young-Old AD patients on tests of executive functions, visuospatial skills, and delayed memory. Furthermore, the relationship between age and memory and executive function deficits in AD was modified by APOE genotype. These data suggest that the profile of neuropsychological deficits associated with AD in the Very-Old lacks the disproportionate saliency of episodic memory and executive function deficits typical of the Young-Old. (JINS, 2003, 9, 783–795.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2003 The International Neuropsychological Society

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