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Neuropathologic validation of the Alzheimer's Questionnaire
Ida Mohebpour1, Michael Malek-Ahmadi2,3, Thomas Virden1
1Midwestern University College of Health Sciences, Glendale, AZ, USA.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
|August 28, 2022
Summary
The Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ) accurately screens for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study validates the AQ against brain pathology, confirming its reliability for diagnosing cognitive impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are significant causes of cognitive decline.
- Informant-based screening tools like the Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ) aid in early detection.
- Validation of screening tools against neuropathological hallmarks is crucial for diagnostic accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the diagnostic accuracy of the Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ) by correlating its scores with neuropathological findings of neuritic plaque (NP) and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) in post-mortem brain tissue.
- To assess the correlation of AQ scores with other cognitive assessment tools, namely the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 205 autopsy cases, clinically classified as AD (n=90), aMCI (n=42), or cognitively unimpaired (CU, n=73).
- Employed semi-quantitative measures to assess NP and NFT pathology.
- Correlated AQ scores with NP and NFT loads, as well as with MMSE and CDR-SOB scores.
Main Results:
- The AQ demonstrated significant correlations with both NP load (r=0.37, p<0.001) and NFT load (r=0.57, p<0.001).
- The MMSE and CDR-SOB showed comparable correlations with NP and NFT pathology (NP: r=-0.37 and r=0.35; NFT: r=-0.58 and r=0.55, respectively).
- These findings indicate that the AQ's performance aligns with established cognitive assessment tools in relation to underlying AD pathology.
Conclusions:
- The Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ) shows a strong correlation with neuritic plaque and neurofibrillary tangle pathology characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
- These results provide strong evidence supporting the use of the AQ as a reliable screening tool for AD-related cognitive impairment.
- Clinicians can be more confident in utilizing the AQ for screening patients with suspected cognitive decline due to AD.
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