Informant Reports of Mild Functional Impairment Predicts Dementia in a Population-Based study of Elderly African Americans
Objective: Dementing disorders represent a major public health concern. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease has become increasingly important. However, most efforts on early detection have focused on measuring cognitive decline. Non-cognitive, functional impairment can be a predictor of early dementia.
Design: Baseline functional scores of non-demented subjects who converted to dementia at 2 years and 5 years.
Methods: Informants were interviewed at baseline using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID) about the subject’s functional impairment. A total functional score was calculated. Selected subjects were later clinically assessed. Subjects were re-evaluated at years 2 and 5 with a screening interview and a clinical assessment and diagnosis. Only those non-demented subjects from baseline that had a diagnosis at either follow-up wave were included in this analysis. Logistic regression was used to test the association of each functional item and the total functional score on incident dementia at each follow-up, adjusting for baseline cognitive score and age.
Results: There were 194 subjects in year 2 and 179 in year 5 who had an informant at baseline and were clinically diagnosed in that year. Of these, 33 subjects met DSM111R and ICD 10 criteria for a diagnosis of incident dementia at year 2 and 49 had incident dementia at year 5. Total functional score at baseline significantly predicted incident dementia at year 2 (OR=1.17, 95%CI=1.04-1.31, p-value=0.0076), but not at year 5 (OR=0.96, 95% CI+0.85-1.09, p-value=0.5491). Of the 24 functional items asked, 7 items were significant predictors (p<0.05) at year 2 and 1 item was a significant predictor at year 5.
Conclusion: Mild stages of functional impairment at baseline predict dementia within 2 years but not five.
Back to PC Wednesday Poster Sessions
Back to The Eleventh International Congress