Utility of the Functional Activities Questionnaire in Distinguishing Between 
Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease
 
   Lead Investigator:    Edmond Teng
   Institution      :    University California, Los Angeles
   E-Mail           :    eteng@ucla.edu
   Proposal ID      :    33


   Publications:


1  Teng E, Becker B, Woo E, Knopman D, Cummings H, Mendez M, Lu P
   Utility of the functional activities questionnaire for distinguishing mild cognitive impairment from mild Alzheimer's disease
   Abstract  J Int Neuropsychol Soc,14:259,2008,

   PUBLISHED



2  Teng E, Becker B, Woo E, Yau A, Cummings J, Mendez M, Lu P
   Instrumental activities of daily living in subtypes of mild cognitive impairment
   Abstract  J Int Neuropsychol Soc,13:259-260,2008,

   PUBLISHED



3  Teng E, Becker BW, Woo E, Cummings JL, Lu PH
   Subtle Deficits in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment
   Journal Article  Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord,30:189-197,2010,PMC2948658

   PUBLISHED



4  Teng E, Becker BW, Woo E, Knopman DS, Cummings JL, Lu PH
   Utility of the Functional Activities Questionnaire for Distinguishing Mild Cognitive Impairment From Very Mild Alzheimer Disease
   Journal Article  Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord,24:348-353,2010,PMC2997338

   PUBLISHED





   Proposal Description:
   Hypothesis and Specific Aims  The Petersen criteria have established general guidelines for the identification of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). One of the key diagnostic features that distinguishes MCI from dementia is ???essentially normal functional activities.??? However, this criterion is difficult to consistently operationally define, and in practice, has often been based upon clinician judgment [1].  A number of standardized assessments of activities of daily living (ADLs), including the Functional Activities Question (FAQ) [2], have been developed for use in elderly populations. Although subjects with MCI perform better than subjects with AD on such measures [3,4], the overlapping distributions of total scores between groups limit their utility to consistently discriminate these two diagnoses. Preliminary data from our group has suggested that the analysis of performance on specific categories of ADLs measured by the FAQ may offer greater diagnostic utility [5]. The goal of this proposed project is to confirm and extend these findings through detailed analyses of FAQ data included in the NACC UDS database. Our specific aims are delineated below:  Specific Aim 1: Determine the utility of total FAQ scores for discriminating between MCI and mild AD. We will compare total FAQ scores among subjects with MCI and mild AD and use receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis to determine an optimal cut-off that maximizes sensitivity and specificity. We hypothesize that although higher total FAQ scores will be seen in among subjects with mild AD, there will be significant overlap in the scores seen between the two groups, which may limit the diagnostic utility of this measure.  Specific Aim 2: Determine the utility of specific FAQ items for discriminating between MCI and mild AD. We will use logistic regression analyses to determine which FAQ items most effectively distinguish between the MCI and mild AD groups. ROC analyses will then be used to determine op