Early Detection of Declines in Executive Functions in Frontal Lobe Dementia,
Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson?s Dementia
 
   Lead Investigator:    Kathy Burson
   Institution      :    Fielding Graduate University
   E-Mail           :    kateburson@aol.com
   Proposal ID      :    909



   Proposal Description:
   The purpose of this study is to determine if it is possible to predict early symptoms of Lewy Body, Frontal temporal and Parkinson?s dementias based on neuropsychological subtests from the Uniform Data Set 3 provided by the National Alzheimer?s Coordinating Center (NACC). If there is a relationship between these variables, can this relationship be used to identify individuals at the earliest stages of impairment and what is the likely progression of dementia? To address these issues, the proposed study has three goals: 1. To identify a relevant neuropsychological tests that differentiates cognitively intact healthy older controls from adults with executive impairments, 2. To evaluate over a four year period if the neuropsychological tests predict executive decline and the rate in which dementia occurs, and 3. Use the results of this data to identify symptoms in order to develop and implement treatment at earlier stages of the disorder.