Do people with Alzheimer’s disease improve with repeated testing? Unpacking the role of content and context in retest effects

• DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afy136
• Publication Date: 2018-07-26T19:20:36Z
• Authors: Alden L Gross; Nadia Chu; Loretta Anderson; M Maria Glymour; Richard N Jones
• Keywords: Unpacking

retest effects may be attributed to 'repeated content' in neuropsychological tests such as words word list-learning tests, or the 'testing context' which involves procedural memory and reduced test anxiety following repeated administration. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) severely impairs episodic memory, so longitudinal cognitive testing among people with dementia reveal relative contributions of content versus context testing. we used data from Critical Path Institute's repository placebo arm randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted by participating pharmaceutical companies (N = 990 people, 4,170 study visits, up 2.4 years follow-up). To estimate on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), linear regressions random for time, adjusting age, sex race, quantile regressions. average MMSE score (16.6 points, SD 5.5, range 1, 27) declined 2.0 points/year (95% confidence interval, CI: -2.3, -1.8). Mean effect was 0.6 points 0.4, 0.8) at second assessment (average 4 months after baseline). Retest were similar participants without any recall short-delay subscale baseline, 30th, 50th 70th percentiles distribution, suggesting across spectrum mild severe cases dementia. are apparent despite a prominent role RCTs cohort studies.