Related Experiment Videos
Measuring functional competence in older persons with Alzheimer's disease
S E Doble1, J D Fisk, K M MacPherson
1School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
International Psychogeriatrics
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Direct observation using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) offers a more comprehensive evaluation of daily living skills in elderly individuals, especially those with Alzheimer's disease (AD), compared to standard cognitive tests.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) competence is crucial for elderly independence.
- Traditional assessments like cognitive tests and self-reports have limitations in predicting functional abilities.
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) significantly impacts IADL performance, necessitating accurate assessment methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) with traditional cognitive and self-report measures in assessing IADL competence in the elderly.
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive status (MMSE) and functional performance (AMPS) in individuals with and without Alzheimer's disease.
- To determine if direct observational assessment provides unique insights into functional decline in progressive dementing conditions.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 64 community-dwelling elderly individuals, including 20 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 44 without dementia, participated.
- Participants underwent assessment using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS)-IADL.
- Statistical analyses were performed to compare performance across groups and correlate scores between different assessment tools.
Main Results:
- The Alzheimer's disease (AD) group demonstrated significantly lower performance on all three assessments (AMPS, MMSE, OARS-IADL).
- The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) showed a modest correlation with AMPS process ability measures but not with motor ability measures.
- The Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS)-IADL correlated significantly with AMPS motor ability only in the nondemented subgroup.
Conclusions:
- While cognitive tests and self/proxy reports offer some insight, they do not fully capture IADL competence.
- Direct observational assessment via AMPS provides crucial additional information on subtle motor and process skill deficits in dementia.
- AMPS is valuable for detecting early functional changes associated with progressive dementing conditions, complementing traditional assessments.