Estimating Time to Loss of Independent Living after Alzheimer's Disease
Diagnosis 
   Lead Investigator:    Jessica Helphrey
   Institution      :    University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
   E-Mail           :    culhane@uw.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1592



   Proposal Description:
   Although Alzheimer's disease is one of the leading causes of death in the   United States, there still exists a lack of effective prevention, cure, or        modification. A large proportion of patients often require dependent living       sometime after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease however,              prediction of when a transition to full-time care will occur is complicated and may involve  biological, social, and psychological factors. We plan to develop    a model to predict time to full-time care based on disease severity,              demographics, medical conditions, psychiatric history, and medications.           Additionally, neuropsychological variables will also be utilized to determine     whether test performance at the time of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis adds        predictive value beyond the aforementioned clinical data. The overarching goal    is that neurologists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists will be able to       enter obtained values into these algorithms and provide a confidence interval     for estimated time until full time care.