Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Indicators of Adaptive Function in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and reduced adaptive function. In particular, reduced adaptive function can present challenges to patient safety and wellness, and is associated with reduced patient quality-of-life. Unfortunately, such declines typically do not manifest until much later in the disease course. Therefore, it may be useful to identify alternative indicators of potential adaptive function decline. Cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms, which have been shown to be associated with adaptive function, may be such indicators, particularly given their presentation earlier in the disease course. The present study used hierarchical linear regression to explore associations between cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and adaptive function indicators of AD. Analyses were completed using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; N = 332). Results indicated that baseline cognitive and neuropsychiatric indictors were indeed associated with adaptive function at baseline, 12, and 24 months follow-up. Future research is needed to corroborate this finding, which may have significant clinical implications for treatment planning.