Clinical Manifestations

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Increasing elderly population globally leads to a rise in dementia, with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) accounting for over 50% of cases.
• Early diagnosis of AD is crucial for better patient prognosis and management.
• Neuropsychological tests (NT) are being evaluated for their role in the early detection of AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and evaluate the utility of available neuropsychological tests (NT) for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
• To determine the importance and effectiveness of NT in identifying early-stage AD through literature analysis.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was conducted using keywords related to Alzheimer's Disease, early diagnosis, and neuropsychological tests.
• Articles published between 1998 and 2024 were selected, with titles and abstracts analyzed for relevance.
• Studies focusing on the early diagnosis of AD using NT were included, while those on other dementias or non-psychological tests were excluded.

Main Results:

• Out of 77 retrieved articles, 9 met the inclusion criteria for the review.
• Several NTs, including the Brain Health Assessment-Cognitive Score and DMS48, demonstrated effectiveness in identifying early cognitive impairment.
• The DMS48 test indicated that visual memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment patients correlate with faster cognitive decline and higher AD progression risk.
• Combining tests like the Mini-Mental State Examination with the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination improved screening utility.
• Verbal fluency tests revealed impairments in early AD, and culturally adaptable tools like the Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Test Battery provided reliable assessments across diverse populations.

Conclusions:

• The current literature on NT for early AD diagnosis lacks robust data, with no randomized clinical trials or large observational studies found.
• Despite data limitations, findings suggest that combining NT with biomarkers and informant-based assessments significantly enhances early AD detection and diagnostic accuracy.