PREDICTING RATE OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN PROBABLE ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Recent attempts to identify predictors of rate of decline in Alzheimer 's disease (AD) have been extremely variable in choice of outcome vari ables, predictor variables tested, timing of assessments, and statisti cal approaches. In this study, a random effects regression model was a pplied to seek predictors of decline on the Mini-Mental State Exam in 132 patients with probable AD reassessed every 6 months for up to 7.5 years. Potential predictor variables at baseline were of three types: patient characteristics, clinical variables, and cognitive performance s, The final multivariate analysis indicated that the following charac teristics predicted more rapid cognitive decline: more education, hist ory of dementia in a first degree relative, non-right handedness, bett er performances on Boston Naming Test, Gollin Incomplete Figures Test, and Benton Visual Retention Test-Delay, and worse performances on Res ponsive Naming Test, WAIS-R Block Design, and Benton Visual Retention Test-Copy. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.