A delayed recall battery as a sensitive screening for mild cognitive impairment: follow-up study of memory clinic patients after 10 years.

OBJECTIVE: I examined the predictive value of the combination of three delayed recall tests to distinguish (1) those with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) from those within normal range, and (2) those with Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from those within normal range. The data from 90 visitors to a memory clinic in Tokyo was used. I first examined patients clinically, neuroradiologically, and excluded the mental and neurological illness. AD was diagnosed according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, MCI according to the criteria of Petersen et al.. Normal must be free from any disease examined above.
METHODS: After the diagnosis, the baseline neuropsychological tests were performed for all participants; the Mini Mental State Examination, Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices, the Stroop Test, a 10-words list learning and recall test, a story recall test, and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. After 10 years, all patients were reassessed and diagnosed again.
RESULTS: Of the MCI patients for follow-up (n=29), 19 were converted to AD, while 5 not. One died. 4 lost. All AD patients (n=30) remained as AD. The combination of 3 delayed recall battery provides clinically useful predictive values for both AD and MCI in a memory clinics and dementia research clinics.