Preliminary data on a mnemonic instrument with proverbs for tracking Alzheimer’s disease

In the differential diagnosis between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and normal aging, tests evaluating memory and executive functions are frequently used. The addition of abstraction tests may enhance the effectiveness of screening tests for AD. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare initial data of a new instrument – The Screening Test for Alzheimer’s Disease with Proverbs (STADP) – against other screening tests used in AD diagnosis. METHODS: Sixty elderly individuals (46 controls and 14 AD subjects with CDR=1), aged =60 years, with at least one year of schooling, were evaluated using the STADP at outpatient clinic. The STADP assesses short-term memory, episodic memory, executive functions and language, in addition to proverb recognition. The performance of the participants on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), semantic Verbal Fluency (VF) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) were evaluated and the habit of reading, writing and sociodemographic data were also taken into account. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between STADP and the performance on the MMSE (r=0.64), CDT (r=0.50) and VF (r=0.56). Age influenced all sub-items of the STADP, specifically episodic memory (r= –0.54), whereas schooling mainly influenced executive functions and language (r=0.46). The total score, stages A and C and the “proverb recognition” of STADP (p<0.001), as well as the MMSE (p<0.001), CDT (p=0.016), VF (p<0.001) were significantly different in AD versus control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings point to the potential use of the STADP in AD, warranting the conducting of further studies.