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Executive dysfunction in Alzheimer disease
Margaret M Swanberg1, Rochelle E Tractenberg, Richard Mohs
1Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 90095-1769, USA.
Archives of Neurology
|April 21, 2004
Summary
Executive dysfunction (EDF) affects 64% of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, impacting cognition, daily activities, and psychosis. Early assessment of EDF is crucial for managing AD progression.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Executive dysfunction (EDF) is a prevalent yet poorly understood symptom in Alzheimer disease (AD).
- Assessing EDF's relationship with other AD symptoms presents significant clinical challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of EDF in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients.
- To investigate the association between EDF and cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) English Instruments Protocol.
- Inclusion of patients evaluated at tertiary referral centers.
Main Results:
- 64% of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients exhibited executive dysfunction (EDF).
- EDF was significantly associated with poorer cognitive performance, increased dementia severity, and greater impairment in activities of daily living.
- Patients with EDF reported more frequent psychosis symptoms and greater emergence of these symptoms over 12 months.
Conclusions:
- Findings underscore the importance of assessing executive function in Alzheimer disease (AD) management.
- Results highlight the critical role of frontal lobe dysfunction in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease (AD).