Dementia rating scale performance: A comparison of vascular and Alzheimer's dementia

Differences in the pattern of neuropsychological dysfunction associated wit h Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) were examined using the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). We examined three groups of patients: (1) Patients with AD; (2) patients with single stroke (CVA); and (3) patients w ith multiple cerebral infarctions (MI). Comparisons of cognitive dysfunctio n were conducted on patients that met the DRS criteria for dementia. Dement ia groups were similar in age, education, and severity of dementia. Compari sons of the AD and two VaD groups across the specific DRS-scales (Attention , Conceptualization, Construction, Initiation/Perseveration, and Memory) in dicated that patients with AD were more impaired on the DRS-Memory while th e patients with VaD were more impaired on the DRS-Construction. Additionall y, patients with VaD related to MI scored lower on the DRS-Initiation/Perse veration as compared to patients with AD, and patients with AD scored lower on the DRS-Conceptualization as compared to patients with VaD related to C VA. These results are indicative of qualitative differences in the pattern of cognitive deficits associated with the two types of dementia.