Selective Ability of Some CANTAB Battery Test Measures to Detect Cognitive Response to a Single Dose of Donepezil in Alzheimer Disease

BACKGROUND The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to explore which tests and their measures are able to detect cognitive change after a single dose of donepezil in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. The aim of this study was to establish the ability of CANTAB tests and their measures to detect cognitive change after a single 5-mg dose of donepezil in treatment-naïve AD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 62 treatment-naïve AD patients and 30 healthy controls in this prospective, randomized, rater-blinded study. AD patients were randomized to 2 groups: the AD+ group received donepezil after the first CANTAB testing and the AD- group remained treatment-naïve at second testing. The time period between repeated testing was 4 hours. Parallel versions of CRT, SOC, PAL, SWM, and PRM tests were used. RESULTS All groups did not differ according to age, education, gender, or depression (p>0.05). AD+ and AD- groups did not differ according to MMSE. SOC, PAL, PRM, and SWM tests distinguished AD from controls. Eight measures of PAL and PRM had a strong correlation with MMSE (r>0.7). Repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test showed the difference of change in AD+ and AD- groups between first and second CANTAB testing in 7 PAL measures. AD+ and AD- groups differed in the second testing by 7 PAL measures. Four PAL measures differed in first and second testing within the AD+ group. CONCLUSIONS The CANTAB PAL test measures, able to detect cognitive change after a single dose of donepezil in AD patients, are: PAL mean trials to success, total errors (adjusted), total errors (6 shapes, adjusted), and total trials (adjusted).