The Tree Drawing Test in Evolution: An Explorative Longitudinal Study in Alzheimer's Disease.

Authors :: Stanzani Maserati M
Matacena M
Baccari F
Zenesini C
Gallassi R
Capellari S
Matacena C
Source :: American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias [Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen] 2022 Jan-Dec; Vol. 37, pp. 15333175221129381.
Publication Year :: 2022
Abstract: Objective: To study the evolution of the Tree Drawing Test (TDT) in a group of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.<br />Methods: A total of 33 AD patients were consecutively evaluated by Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) and TDT. The evolution of the TDT parameters, trunk-to-crown (TC) and space occupation (SO) index, were analyzed.<br />Results: The median age at first visit was 79 years. Globally, trees drawn by patients showed an evolution characterized by a progressive reduction of the crown compared to the trunk. TC index showed a significant linear growth change (2.52 points per year) while SO index did not significantly increase. No significant associations were found examining the relations between MMSE and TC and SO index.<br />Conclusions: TDT could represent a complementary technique to the main neuropsychological screening tests for orienting cognitive impairment diagnosis and an aid in following the evolution of cognitive impairment over time in AD patients.

Subjects :: Aged
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Neuropsychological Tests
Alzheimer Disease diagnosis
Alzheimer Disease psychology
Cognitive Dysfunction diagnosis
Cognitive Dysfunction psychology

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