The Tree Drawing Test in Evolution: An Explorative Longitudinal Study in Alzheimer's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant challenge in cognitive impairment diagnosis.
• Early detection and monitoring of AD progression are crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal changes in the Tree Drawing Test (TDT) among individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
• To assess the utility of TDT parameters in tracking cognitive decline over time.

Main Methods:

• 33 Alzheimer's disease patients were assessed using the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) and TDT.
• The evolution of TDT parameters, specifically the trunk-to-crown (TC) index and space occupation (SO) index, was analyzed over time.

Main Results:

• A progressive reduction in the crown relative to the trunk was observed in TDT drawings.
• The trunk-to-crown (TC) index demonstrated a significant linear increase of 2.52 points per year.
• The space occupation (SO) index did not show a significant change, and no significant correlation was found between MMSE scores and TDT parameters.

Conclusions:

• The Tree Drawing Test (TDT) shows potential as a complementary tool for diagnosing cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease.
• TDT can aid in monitoring the progression of cognitive decline in AD patients over time.