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Progressive decline in NART score with increasing dementia severity
1Department of Psychology, University of Reading, United Kingdom. j.m.cockburn@reading.ac.uk
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|August 3, 2000
Summary
The National Adult Reading Test (NART) may decline in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Performance decrease correlates with initial cognitive status, not age or disease duration.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Neurology
- Gerontology
Background:
- The National Adult Reading Test (NART) is a common tool for estimating premorbid intelligence in dementia patients.
- Concerns exist regarding NART's stability throughout Alzheimer's Disease (AD) progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the longitudinal performance of the NART in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
- To determine factors influencing NART score changes over time in an AD cohort.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 78 participants with Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
- Four annual assessments of NART performance.
- Correlation analysis with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, age, education, and disease onset.
Main Results:
- NART scores showed a significant decline over the four-year assessment period.
- The extent of NART score decline was associated with the initial MMSE score at study entry.
- No significant association was found between NART decline and age, education level, or time since dementia onset.
Conclusions:
- The NART may not be as resilient to Alzheimer's Disease progression as previously thought.
- Initial cognitive function, as measured by MMSE, is a key predictor of NART score decline in AD patients.
- Clinical application of NART in longitudinal AD studies should consider its potential for decline.