BrainBlog

Measuring Alzheimer disease progression with transition probabilities: Estimates from NACC-UDS Curr Alzheimer Res. 2011 Nov 28; Spackman DE, Kadiyala S, Neumann PJ, Veenstra DL, Sullivan SD Abstract Objectives: Estimate the probabilities, for Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, of transitioning between stages of disease severity (mild, moderate, severe, dead) and care settings (community, institutional). Methods: Data were compiled by the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center. The main analyses were limited to 3,852 patients who were >50 years old, diagnosed with possible/probable AD and had at least two center visits. A multinomial logistic model accounting for patient and center level correlation was used to calculate transition probabilities between stages of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Separately we calculated the probabilities of being institutionalized based on CDR stage. Both analyses controlled for baseline age, time between visits, sex, marital status, whether ...

The SIST-M: Predictive Validity of a Brief Structured Clinical Dementia Rating Interview Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. 2011 Oct 6; Okereke OI, Pantoja-Galicia N, Copeland M, Hyman BT, Wanggaard T, Albert MS, Betensky RA, Blacker D Abstract BACKGROUND:: We have previously established the reliability and cross-sectional validity of the SIST-M (Structured Interview and Scoring Tool-Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center), a shortened version of an instrument shown to predict progression to Alzheimer disease (AD), even among persons with very mild cognitive impairment (vMCI). OBJECTIVE:: To test the predictive validity of the SIST-M. METHODS:: Participants were 342 community-dwelling, nondemented older adults in a longitudinal study. Baseline Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) ratings were determined by either (1) clinician interviews or (2) a previously developed computer algorithm based on 60 questions (of a possible 131) extracted from clinician interviews. We ...