Neuropathologic Correlates of Activities of Daily Living in Alzheimer Disease

Abstract:
Functional status, reflected by measures of activities of daily living (ADLs), deteriorates as Alzheimer disease (AD) progresses. Decline in activities of daily living may be mediated by executive and frontal lobe dysfunction. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between activities of daily living and pathologic burden in Alzheimer disease. Twenty two subjects with definite Alzheimer disease were selected from the UCLA ADRC neuropathology database. A total activities of daily living score was derived from the Retrospective Collateral Dementia Interview-Revised (RCDI-R) questionnaire, which was administered to caregivers of autopsied subjects included in the study. Neuritic plaque (NP) and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) counts were performed for 8 brain regions. There was a significant positive correlation between total activities of daily living score…

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