Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Timo Erkinjuntti, Professor John O'Brien
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
The relationship between age-related white matter changes and cognitive performance in independent elderly people is still not clear. The Leukoaraiosis and Disability in the Elderly study (LADIS) involves 11 European centers. It aims to assess the role of the age-related white matter changes as an independent factor in the transition to disability, and in cognitive performance of an independent elderly population. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was constructed in order to harmonize the cognitive assessment across countries. Patients were evaluated at baseline and during the 3-year follow-up with the Mini-Mental State Examination, a modified version of the VADAS-Cog (Alzheimer's Dementia Assessment Scale plus tests of Delayed recall, Symbol digit, Digit span, Maze, Digit cancellation and Verbal fluency), Trail making and Stroop test. Six hundred thirty-eight patients (mean age 74 ± 5 years; mean educational level 10 ± 4, F/M: 351/287) were included in this study. Neuropsychological data were analyzed test by test and also grouped in three compound measures (executive, memory and speed/motor control domains). Older subjects (>74 years) performed significantly worse than younger subjects on the ADAS-Mod and on the tests of memory (t631 = 3.25; p = 0.001), executive functions (t581 = 4.68; p = 0.001) and speed/motor control (t587 = 4.01; p = 0.001). Participants with higher educational level (>8 years of school) showed better performances on the compound measures for memory (t631 = 3.25; p = 0.001), executive functions (t581 = 4.68; p = 0.001) and speed/motor control (t 587 = 4.01; p = 0.001). Using multiple regression analysis models to study the influence of demographic variables on cognitive performance, age and education remained important variables influencing test performance. In the LADIS population baseline data, older age and lower educational levels negatively influence neuropsychological performance. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG.
Author(s): Madureira S, Verdelho A, Ferro J, Basile A-M, Chabriat H, Erkinjuntti T, Fazekas F, Hennerici M, O'Brien J, Pantoni L, Salvadori E, Scheltens P, Visser MC, Wahlund L-O, Waldemar G, Wallin A, Inzitari D
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Neuroepidemiology
Year: 2006
Volume: 27
Issue: 2
Pages: 101-116
ISSN (print): 0251-5350
ISSN (electronic): 1423-0208
Publisher: S. Karger AG
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000095381
DOI: 10.1159/000095381
PubMed id: 16943684
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric