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Brain & Heart Practical tips for AD and PD

word remembered. In the delayed recall stage, conducted • CDR-4: Profound dementia
after three additional tests, patients were asked to recall • CDR-5: Terminal dementia.
the words they previously learned. In the next step, a The overall CDR score was used to group patients
mixed list of 20 words, including 10 new words of similar according to the severity of dementia .
[26]
nature, such as mosque, five, mountain, string, coffee, lira, (10) Blessed Dementia Rating Scale (BDRS). BDRS consists
slippers, soldier, hotel, and village, was presented to the of 22 items and quantifies the degree of intellectual
patient, who was then asked to recognize the previously and personality deterioration in the elderly. BDRS
learned words. The total score for correct positive and reflects changes in daily performance, habits including
false negative conditions in this stage is 20. During the self-care, and personality. The BDRS is scored on a
administration of this test, a second pause was given 0–28 point scale, where higher points indicate a larger
before proceeding to the next task, and feedback about decrement in functional capacity .
[27]
patient responses was not provided . For evaluating PD patients’ daily living activities and
[22]
(6) Boston Naming Test (BNT). It is a widely used disease staging, MDS-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating
neuropsychological test that assesses an individual’s Scale (MDS-UPDRS) was used and all PD patients were
ability to name objects. The BNT consists of 60-line evaluated during the period when Parkinson’s patients are
drawings of objects of increasing difficulty, and the active in terms of motor movement (“ON period”) .
[28]
participant was asked to name each object. One point
was awarded for each correctly named object . 2.2. Statistical analysis
[23]
(7) Clock Drawing Test (CDT). It is a widely used STATISTICA 13.0 statistical program was used for
neuropsychological test that assesses an individual’s statistical data entry and analysis. Number and percentage
ability to draw a clock face and set the hands to a values were given as descriptive statistics for categorical
specified time. The CDT is scored on a 10-point variables and the Chi-square test was used in the analysis
scale based on the accuracy of the drawing and the of categorical data. Mean, standard deviation, minimum,
placement of the hands . and maximum values were given as descriptive statistics
[24]
(8) The Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). GDS for AD for continuous variables satisfying the normal distribution
is a widely used tool for staging the progression of condition. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)
cognitive decline in individuals with AD. The GDS is was used for the variables conforming to the normal
based on a 7-point scale that ranges from no cognitive distribution. Tukey’s test was used to determine the
impairment to severe cognitive decline as follows: significant difference between pairs of groups. Median,
- Grade 1: No cognitive impairment first quartile (Q1), and third quartile (Q3) values were used
- Grade 2: Questionable cognitive impairment as descriptive statistics for continuous variables that did
- Grade 3: Mild cognitive impairment not meet the normal distribution condition and for these
- Grade 4: Moderate cognitive impairment variables, Kruskall–Wallis test was used for data analysis.
- Grade 5: Moderately severe cognitive impairment Results are given together with 95% confidence interval,
- Grade 6: Severe cognitive impairment and differences with P < 0.05 are considered significant.
- Grade 7: Very severe cognitive impairment
The GDS is a widely used tool in clinical practice and 3. Results
research to measure the progression of AD. It provides a
standardized way to assess the severity of cognitive decline A total of 240 participants, including 115 men (47.9%), and
125 women (52.1%), with a mean age of 68.9 years, were
and track changes over time .
[25]
analyzed in this study. There were differences between the
(9) Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). CDR is a global AD and PD-D groups in terms of gender distribution, with
summary measure designed to identify the overall the female proportion higher in the AD group while the
severity of dementia. Six different areas are assessed male proportion was in the PD-D group (P < 0.05). There
in this test, namely, memory, orientation, judgment was also a difference in disease duration between the AD
and problem-solving, community affairs, home and and PD-D patient groups, and the disease duration was
hobbies, and personal care. The CDR is based on a longer in the PD-D group (P < 0.05). There were differences
5-point scale as follows: in age distribution between the patient groups and the
• CDR-0: No cognitive impairment control group (P < 0.001), but there was no difference in
• CDR-0.5: Questionable or very mild dementia age distribution between the patient groups (P > 0.05). The
• CDR-1: Present, but mild dementia demographic characteristics of patients are summarized in
• CDR-2: Moderate dementia Table 1. Compared with the control group, the education
• CDR-3: Severe dementia period was shorter in AD and PD-D groups (P = 0.001).

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/bh.1712