Objectives: To seek predictors of rapid loss of cognition and to evaluate their frequency in a prospective study of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Design: A one-year prospective study.
Methods: 312 AD patients from the memory clinic at Toulouse University Hospital, participants in the ELSA study, were enrolled. Rapid cognitive decline was defined as a 4-point or greater loss on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in 6 months. Comprehensive geriatric and neuropsychological assessment was conducted at baseline, 6 months and one year.
Results: Seventy-nine (24.8%) patients presented rapid cognitive loss over 6 months. The majority were stable at one year whereas 15 experienced continued rapid cognitive loss. Multivariate analysis showed that only the Mini Nutritional Assessment score (MNA) was correlated with rate of decline. Patients with rapid cognitive decline were also significantly more dependent at 6 months.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that rapid cognitive loss is frequent in AD patients, probably indicating underlying frailty. Future studies should lead to a practical approach to detecting these frail patients and to increasing preventive interventions.