Measuring Alzheimer's disease progression with transition probabilities in the Taiwanese population

✍ Scribed by Jong-Ling Fuh; Raoh-Fang Pwu; Shuu-Jiun Wang; Yu-Hsin Chen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 62 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.1076

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

The transition probability of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined as the likelihood that the disease progresses from one stage to another in a given time period.

Objective

To estimate the separate stage‐to‐stage and stage‐to‐death transition probabilities for Taiwanese patients with AD and to evaluate the hazard ratios of age, sex, behavioral symptoms, and medications on disease progression.

Method

We examined data (severity of dementia, hallucinations or delusions, use of cholinesterase inhibitors [CEIs], survival) in 365 patients with probable AD at baseline and at follow‐Gup (mean ± SD 29 ± 17 months, range 3–109 months).

Results

Modified survival analysis revealed that transition probabilities of Taiwanese patients were similar to those of Western patients. The probability of dementia remaining at the same stage was higher in patients taking CEIs than in other. Men had a higher probability of dying in the mild stage.

Conclusion

Transition probabilities can be used to measure AD progression. CEIs used to treat AD might alter the disease course. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.