Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
52158
Funders
Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network. Grant Number: UF1 AG032438
National Institute on Aging
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
NIHR Queen Square Dementia Biomedical Research Centre and the MRC Dementias Platform UK. Grant Numbers: MR/L023784/1, MR/009076/1
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Abstract
Introduction:
As knowledge about neurological examination findings in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD) is incomplete, we aimed to determine the frequency and significance of neurological examination findings in ADAD.
Methods:
Frequencies of neurological examination findings were compared between symptomatic mutation carriers and non mutation carriers from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) to define AD neurological examination findings. AD neurological examination findings were analyzed regarding frequency, association with and predictive value regarding cognitive decline, and association with brain atrophy in symptomatic mutation carriers.
Results:
AD neurological examination findings included abnormal deep tendon reflexes, gait disturbance, pathological cranial nerve examination findings, tremor, abnormal finger to nose and heel to shin testing, and compromised motor strength. The frequency of AD neurological examination findings was 65.1 %. Cross-sectionally, mutation carriers with AD neurological examination findings showed a more than two-fold faster cognitive decline and had greater parieto-temporal atrophy, including hippocampal atrophy. Longitudinally, AD neurological examination findings predicted a significantly greater decline over time.
Discussion:
ADAD features a distinct pattern of neurological examination findings that is useful to estimate prognosis and may inform clinical care and therapeutic trial designs.
DOI
10.1002/alz.12684
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Comments
Vöglein, J., Franzmeier, N., Morris, J. C., Dieterich, M., McDade, E., Simons, M., ... & Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network. (2023). Patterns and implications of neurological examination findings in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 19(2), 632-645.
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12684