Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025
The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: October 13, 2016
Differences in instrumental activities of daily living between mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A
Shinichiro Maeshima1, Aiko Osawa2, Izumi Kondo2
1Kinjo University, Hakusan, Japan.
Aim:
Executive dysfunction is pathognomonic for dementia and impedes the activities of daily living (ADL). This study aimed to examine the relationship of dementia severity with executive dysfunction and ADL in mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Methods:
This single-center study enrolled 86 patients (men, 40; women, 46; mean age, 76.1 ± 7.5 years) referred for cognitive and physical rehabilitation between October 2015 and September 2020. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) was 0.5, 1, and ≥2 in 45, 30, and 11 patients, respectively. The presence and severity of executive dysfunction were assessed using the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome-Japanese version (BADS). The ADL and instrumental ADL (IADL) were assessed using the Barthel Index and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI), respectively. We examined the relationship between CDR severity and overall BADS profile score and its sub-items, and that between the overall BADS profile score and IADL.
Results:
The cognitive and executive functional assessment scores differed significantly depending on the CDR severity. The CDR severity and overall BADS profile score exhibited significant correlations. The BADS found cognitive impairment in 31%, 70%, and 100% of patients with CDR0.5, CDR1, and CDR≥2, respectively. The FAI score differed according to the CDR severity in women but not in men. The overall profile and age-adjusted BADS scores were strongly correlated with the IADL in women but not in men.
Conclusions:
The greater the severity of executive dysfunction, the greater the difficulty in performing ADL. This effect was more pronounced in women and may predict dementia progression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1111-1117.
