Applying 'growth curves' to age-associated cognitive decline: an innovative
method to help determine normal vs. abnormal longitudinal cognitive changes in
 
   Lead Investigator:    Robert Jr Laforce
   Institution      :    CHU de Quebec-Laval University
   E-Mail           :    robert.laforce@fmed.ulaval.ca
   Proposal ID      :    625


   Publications:


1  Bernier P, Gourdeau C, Carmichael P, Beauchemin J, Verreault R, Bouchard R, Kroger E, Laforce R
   Applying ^{unicode 2018}growth curves' to age-associated cognitive decline: an innovative method to help determine normal vs. abnormal longitudinal cognitive changes in the elderly
   Abstract  Alzheimers Dement,7:P711-P712,2015,

   PUBLISHED



2  Bernier PJ, Gourdeau C, Carmichael PH, Beauchemin JP, Verreault R, Bouchard RW, Kroger E, Laforce R, Jr
   Validation and diagnostic accuracy of predictive curves for age-associated longitudinal cognitive decline in older adults
   Journal Article  CMAJ,189:E1472-E1480,2017,PMC5714699

   PUBLISHED





   Proposal Description:
   Goals of the proposed research: All around the world, the Mini-Mental State       Examination (MMSE) remains the most widely used screening tool for assessment     and follow-up of cognitive impairment. Physicians, however, are often at a loss   when attempting to determine whether elderly patients show normal vs. abnormal    cognitive decline on repeated MMSE. We aimed to generate ready-to-use Cognitive   Charts (CC) for clinical follow-up of age-related cognitive decline using the     MMSE.                                                                                                                                                               Expected outcome: Similar to ???growth charts??? used worldwide in medicine,      and based on a large Canadian cohort studied over 10 years, we developed an       innovative method which factors in age and education within the same              mathematical model to determine whether elderly patients show normal vs.          abnormal performance on serial MMSEs. As a rule, a decline greater than one       percentile interval line from baseline on CC should prompt further dementia       investigation, or referral to a memory clinic for comprehensive assessment. We    believe this effort is highly innovative because: 1) It fills an important gap    in current practice (physicians lack an easy-to-use instrument that tracks        longitudinal evolution of cognition), 2) Cognitive Charts will have a             substantial impact on physicians??? practice (track performance over time,        accelerate dementia investigation or reassure the family based on solid           quantitative principles related to normal cognition over time), 3) early          detection means everything, and this is where the field is moving (identifying    the disease at its earliest time point before pathological injury is too          severe, and irreversible changes in cognition and functional abilities are        seen, is a major medical issue o