The conceptual relevance of assessment measures in patients with mild/mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the conceptual relevance of four measures of disease activity in patients with mild/mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD): (1) the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale; (2) the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study–Activities of Daily Living Inventory; (3) the Neuropsychiatry Inventory; and (4) the Dependence Scale. METHODS: A conceptual model depicting patient experience of mild AD was developed via literature review; concepts were compared with the items of the four measures. Relevance of the concepts included in the four measures was evaluated by patients with mild AD in a survey and follow-up interviews. RESULTS: The four measures assessed few of the symptoms/impacts of mild AD identified within the literature. Measured items addressing emotional impacts were deemed most relevant by participants but were included in the measures only superficially. DISCUSSION: The four assessment measures do not appear to capture the concepts most relevant to/important to patients with mild/mild-moderate AD.