Preliminary data on a mnemonic instrument with proverbs for tracking Alzheimer's disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis relies on memory and executive function tests.
• Abstraction tests may improve AD screening effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare the novel Screening Test for Alzheimer's Disease with Proverbs (STADP) against existing AD screening tools.
• Evaluate STADP's utility in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from normal aging.

Main Methods:

• Sixty elderly participants (14 AD, 46 controls) were assessed using STADP, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Verbal Fluency (VF), and Clock Drawing Test (CDT).
• STADP evaluates short-term memory, episodic memory, executive functions, language, and proverb recognition.
• Sociodemographic data, reading, and writing habits were recorded.

Main Results:

• STADP showed significant correlations with MMSE (r=0.64), CDT (r=0.50), and VF (r=0.56).
• Age impacted episodic memory; schooling influenced executive functions and language.
• STADP total score, proverb recognition, and specific stages (A, C) significantly differentiated AD patients from controls (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The STADP demonstrates potential as a screening tool for Alzheimer's disease.
• Further research is recommended to validate STADP's clinical utility in AD diagnosis.