Abstract
To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease (AD) early, tests sensitive to neuropathology and insensitive to normal ageing are of greatest benefit. We used several neuropsychological tests to identify those best suited to distinguishing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early AD from normal ageing. Impairments in long-term memory were found in older adults and these were even greater in MCI and AD. Older adults outperformed young controls on category fluency and produced later acquired and less familiar words. Older adults also outperformed both patient groups on this task producing more words which were significantly later acquired, less familiar and less typical. Decline in long-term memory appears nonspecific and in the early stage of AD cannot help the differentiation between normal and pathological brain ageing. Normal ageing has no negative effects on verbal fluency, and impairment on this task signals not only established AD, but also its prodromal MCI stage.
Keywords: Age of acquisition, Alzheimer's disease, episodic memory, mild cognitive impairment, semantic memory, verbal fluency.
Current Alzheimer Research
Title:Differentiating Normal from Pathological Brain Ageing Using Standard Neuropsychological Tests
Volume: 11 Issue: 8
Author(s): Sarah J. Wakefield, William J. McGeown, Michael F. Shanks and Annalena Venneri
Affiliation:
Keywords: Age of acquisition, Alzheimer's disease, episodic memory, mild cognitive impairment, semantic memory, verbal fluency.
Abstract: To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease (AD) early, tests sensitive to neuropathology and insensitive to normal ageing are of greatest benefit. We used several neuropsychological tests to identify those best suited to distinguishing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early AD from normal ageing. Impairments in long-term memory were found in older adults and these were even greater in MCI and AD. Older adults outperformed young controls on category fluency and produced later acquired and less familiar words. Older adults also outperformed both patient groups on this task producing more words which were significantly later acquired, less familiar and less typical. Decline in long-term memory appears nonspecific and in the early stage of AD cannot help the differentiation between normal and pathological brain ageing. Normal ageing has no negative effects on verbal fluency, and impairment on this task signals not only established AD, but also its prodromal MCI stage.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Wakefield J. Sarah, McGeown J. William, Shanks F. Michael and Venneri Annalena, Differentiating Normal from Pathological Brain Ageing Using Standard Neuropsychological Tests, Current Alzheimer Research 2014; 11 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720501108140910121631
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720501108140910121631 |
Print ISSN 1567-2050 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5828 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
New Advances in the Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Alzheimer's Disease
Aims and Scope: Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing prevalence that demands concerted efforts to advance our understanding and strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. This thematic issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and innovative approaches from multidisciplinary perspectives to address ...read more
Current updates on the Role of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neuroinflammation is an invariable hallmark of chronic and acute neurodegenerative disorders and has long been considered a potential drug target for Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and dementia. Significant evidence of inflammatory processes as a feature of AD is provided by the presence of inflammatory markers in plasma, CSF and postmortem brain ...read more
Deep Learning for Advancing Alzheimer's Disease Research
Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing number of individuals affected yearly. Deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, has shown immense potential in various domains, including healthcare. This thematic issue of Current Alzheimer Research explores the application of deep learning techniques in advancing our ...read more
Diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of dementia
Dementia affects 18 million people worldwide. Dementia is a syndrome of symptoms caused by brain disease, usually chronic or progressive, clinically characterized by multiple impairments of higher cortical functions such as memory, thinking, orientation, and learning. In addition, in the course of dementia, cognitive deficits are observed, which often hinder ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Predicting Inhibitors for Multidrug Resistance Associated Protein-2 Transporter by Machine Learning Approach
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Non-adenosine Nucleoside Inosine, Guanosine and Uridine as Promising Antiepileptic Drugs: a Summary of Current Literature
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Derivatives of IL-16 to Modulate Airway Inflammation
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Obesity, Diabetes and Atrial Fibrillation; Epidemiology, Mechanisms and Interventions
Current Cardiology Reviews Medicinal Chemistry of Hsp90 Inhibitors
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry The Chemistry and Bio-Medicinal Significance of Pyrimidines & Condensed Pyrimidines
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Cytochrome P450 Gene Polymorphism and Cancer
Current Drug Metabolism Pediatric Obesity Epidemic: Problem and Solutions
Current Pharmaceutical Design Editorial (Thematic Issue: Neuroinflammation a Common Link in Neurodegenerative Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders)
Current Pharmaceutical Design Can Targeted Therapy be Successful without Metronomic Scheduling ?
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Anti-Respiratory Syncytial Virus Mechanism of <i>Houttuynia cordata</i> Thunb Exploration based on Network Pharmacology
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Erythropoietin in Heart Failure and Other Cardiovascular Diseases: Hematopoietic and Pleiotropic Effects
Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders Modulating Fatty Acid Metabolism and the AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway as a Target for Obesity Therapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents Dietary Antioxidants Significantly Reduced Phorbol Myristate Acetate Induced Oxidative Stress of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Current Rheumatology Reviews Trends in Snakebite Envenomation Therapy: Scientific, Technological and Public Health Considerations
Current Pharmaceutical Design Application of Microdialysis in Clinical Pharmacology
Current Clinical Pharmacology Microglial dependent protective effects of neuroactive steroids
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Biomarkers for Predicting the Immunomodulatory Properties of Probiotics
Recent Patents on Biomarkers Comparative Binding Mode and Residual Contribution from Lactoferrins (bLF and hLF) and HIV Gp120: An In silico Structural Perspective to Design Potent Peptide Inhibitor for HIV
Current Enzyme Inhibition The Use of Gene Therapy Tools in Reproductive Immunology Research
Current Gene Therapy