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Article

Dual Task Performance in early Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and depression

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Citation

Lonie JA, Tierney KM, Herrmann LL, Donaghey C, O'Carroll R, Lee A & Ebmeier KP (2009) Dual Task Performance in early Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and depression. Psychological Medicine, 39 (1), pp. 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291708003346

Abstract
Background: The dual task paradigm (Baddeley et al., 1986; Della Sala et al., 1995) has been proposed as a sensitive measure of Alzheimer¡¯s disease, early in the disease process. Methods: We investigated this claim by administering the modified dual task paradigm (utilising a pencil and paper version of a tracking task) to 38 patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and 10 with early Alzheimer¡¯s disease, as well as 21 healthy elderly subjects and 17 controls with depressive symptoms. All groups were closely matched for age and pre-morbid intellectual ability. Results: There were no group differences in dual task performance, despite poor performance in episodic memory tests of the aMCI and early Alzheimer¡¯s disease groups. In contrast, early Alzheimer¡¯s disease and depressed patients were impaired in Part B of Trail Making Test, another commonly used measure of divided attention. Conclusions: The dual task paradigm lacks sensitivity for use in the early differential diagnosis of Alzheimer¡¯s disease.

Keywords
Neuropsychology; Diagnosis; Geriatric Assessment; Memory Disorders; Amnesia; Anterograde; Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major; Dysthymic Disorder; Dementia Patients Care; Dementia nursing; Depressive Disorder therapy; Psychophysiology

Journal
Psychological Medicine: Volume 39, Issue 1

StatusPublished
Publication date31/01/2009
URL
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISSN0033-2917
eISSN1469-8978

People (1)

Professor Ronan O'Carroll

Professor Ronan O'Carroll

Professor, Psychology

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