Normative data for healthy middle-aged and elderly performance on the Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination-Revised

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• The Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is a brief cognitive assessment tool.
• It evaluates five key domains: Attention and Orientation, Memory, Verbal Fluency, Language, and Visuospatial Abilities.
• These cognitive domains are frequently affected in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative data for the ACE-R in healthy middle-aged and elderly Brazilian adults.
• To analyze the influence of age, sex, and years of schooling on ACE-R performance within this population.

Main Methods:

• 144 healthy volunteers (50% male, 50% female), aged 50-93 years with 4-24 years of schooling, were evaluated.
• Participants were categorized into four age groups and three education-level strata.
• Cognitive function was assessed using the ACE-R, Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia.

Main Results:

• Educational attainment significantly affected all ACE-R subscores.
• Age demonstrated a significant impact on the Verbal Fluency subscore and the overall ACE-R score.
• Sex showed a statistically significant effect on Attention and Orientation and Mini-Mental State Examination subscores, but not the total ACE-R score.

Conclusions:

• Educational level is a primary determinant of ACE-R performance in healthy older Brazilians.
• Age also plays a role, albeit to a lesser extent than education.
• These findings are particularly relevant for interpreting cognitive test results in populations with significant educational diversity.