The S-TOFHLA in mild Alzheimer\'s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients as a measure of functional literacy

Author(s)

Maira Okada de Oliveira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD)
• Defense date: 2012-11-29

Examining board members

Sônia Maria Dozzi Brucki; Paulo Henrique Ferreira Bertolucci; Monica Sanches Yassuda

• Advisor: Sônia Maria Dozzi Brucki

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The greatest challenge in the diagnosis of cognitive loss in our population is its educational heterogeneity, with a spectrum ranging from illiteracy, functional illiteracy and various degrees of literacy even with the same level of schooling. OBJECTIVES: To compare the results obtained in the S-TOFHLA among control subjects, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) and correlate those scores with years of formal schooling, Neuropsychological Assessment, and the scores achieved on Raven\'s Colored Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary and Block Design subtests of the WAIS-III as a measure of estimated intellectual level. METHODS: The sample consisted of 148 subjects, of which 61 were healthy controls, 42 had MCI and 45 had AD. All participants underwent neuropsychological assessment, S-TOFHLA and functional evaluation. RESULTS: In the neuropsychological evaluation it was observed that in the tests Block Design, Raven and IQ Estimate statistical differences were found between MCI and control groups, control and AD, but not between the MCI and AD groups. In the S-TOFHLA, there was a statistically significant difference in reading comprehension and in the total score in all three groups (control, MCI and AD). In the Numeric item, the only statistical difference occurred between control and AD. The S-TOFHLA strongly correlated with the estimated IQ. CONCLUSIONS: The S-TOFHLA is influenced by disease progression showing significant difference between groups. The changes in fluid intelligence occur since the onset of disease. The Vocabulary subtest remained with similar results in different degrees of cognitive impairment, showing that semantic memory and crystallized intelligence are preserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/06475-5 - The use of S-TOFHLA in patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's Disease as a functional literacy assessment
• Grantee: Maira Okada de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master