Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Collins, Nicole
URN	etd-07212011-184225
Title	Neuropsychological Indicators of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease among Depressed Older Adults
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Natalie Sachs-Ericsson Committee Chair Joyce Carbonell Committee Member Walter Boot Committee Member
Keywords	Normative Data Dementia Elderly
Date of Defense	2011-06-13
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Depression and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) occur frequently in geriatric patients, but it is difficult to identify which depressed patients are in the preclinical AD phase due to the overlapping cognitive impairment in depression and AD. Based on data from 120 depressed patients who were dementia-free and completed a range of neuropsychological tests at baseline, we predicted that measures of temporal lobe function (area affected most in early AD), but not frontal lobe function, would distinguish older depressed patients who developed AD from those who did not develop AD. We found the domain of temporal lobe function was associated with AD to a greater extent than frontal lobe function in a structural equation model (SEM). Individual tests of temporal lobe function, including Logical Memory and Word List Learning were most predictive of AD status and had the highest sensitivity in logistic regression models. At least a one standard deviation on these tests in relation to scores derived for the population based on age and education should alert the clinician to the possibility of preclinical AD and warrant closer follow-up.
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