Longitudinal changes in performance on cognitive screening tests in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease

Abstract

Background: Neuropsychological tests that can track changes in cognitive functions after diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), including episodic memory, should be further developed. Methods: The participants of our study consisted of 22 mild AD patients and 11 MCI patients. They were followed up for 2 years. Brief cognitive screening tests were administered to the participants. Longitudinal changes in test performance were evaluated and analyzed. Results: In this longitudinal study, the Scenery Picture Memory Test (SPMT) showed significant changes over 2 years in both MCI and AD participants. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Word Fluency Test-vegetable showed significant changes only in AD participants. Other tests all showed little or no decline in results. Conclusions: The SPMT can be a useful tool for effectively observing changes during follow-up of MCI and AD patients.