Validity of Informant Reports About AD and MCI Patients’ Memory

Abstract:
Efficient, valid, and economical methods are needed to measure memory in elderly patients who are participants in clinical trials for the prevention or treatment of dementia. Data provided by knowledgeable informants are an ideal means of assessment, but factors that may limit the validity of informant-report data are not known. This study investigated the living status, relationship type, and educational history of informants and determined the impact of these factors on the validity of informant-report data about patients (N = 62) diagnosed with Alzheimer disease or mild cognitive impairment. Validity of informant-reported memory was indicated by the correlation between the reports and patients’ performance on a neuropsychological memory test. Results indicated that informants who lived with patients provided more accurate reports of the patients’ memory than…

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