Detecting early memory changes in preclinical Alzheimer's disease using TabCAT favorites test: Data from the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (EPAD) cohort

TL;DR

The study shows that a computerized memory test can detect early Alzheimer's changes in people without symptoms.

Contribution

TabCAT Favorites is shown to be a sensitive tool for early detection of Alzheimer's pathology in asymptomatic individuals.

Findings

Poorer TabCAT Favorites performance was associated with increased likelihood of A+T+ status in asymptomatic individuals.

TabCAT Favorites is more sensitive than RBANS-MI for detecting early cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease.

Low Favorites performance predicted progression to clinical dementia rating > 0 in individuals with A+T+ status.

Abstract

Sensitive memory paradigms may allow the detection of subtle memory changes associated with early Alzheimer's pathology in individuals without established clinical symptomatology.

We explored the cross‐sectional association between performance on Tablet‐based Cognitive Assessment Tool (TabCAT) Favorites, a brief computerized memory test, with cerebrospinal fluid AT status (A for amyloid‐β and T for phosphorylated tau) and its discriminative validity in 727 clinically asymptomatic participants from the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (EPAD) Longitudinal Cohort Study. Episodic memory was also evaluated with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Delayed Memory Index (RBANS‐MI).

Compared to A‐T‐ individuals, poorer TabCAT Favorites Total Correct (Favorites‐TC) cross‐sectional performance was associated with an increased likelihood of A+T+ status, but not A+T‐ status. There were no significant associations between AT status and RBANS‐MI. Among individuals with low Favorites‐TC performance, AT status predicted progression on the Clinical Dementia Rating > 0.

Favorites‐TC is a sensitive measure for the early detection of cognitive changes in the early stages of the AD continuum.

We explored Tablet‐based Cognitive Assessment Tool (TabCAT) Favorites scores and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AT status (A for amyloid‐β and T for phosphorylated tau) in asymptomatic individuals.Poorer Favorites performance linked to higher A+T+ likelihood.TabCAT Favorites is a sensitive tool for detecting early cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

We explored Tablet‐based Cognitive Assessment Tool (TabCAT) Favorites scores and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AT status (A for amyloid‐β and T for phosphorylated tau) in asymptomatic individuals.

Poorer Favorites performance linked to higher A+T+ likelihood.

TabCAT Favorites is a sensitive tool for detecting early cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

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