The R4Alz battery

Introduction

Nowadays, there are many neuropsychological tests to discriminate between cognitively healthy older adults, Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Dementia. However, these tests are usually affected by a persons' educational level and for this reason, are not very sensitive. Cognitive control abilities such as inhibition and working memory are correlated with cognitive decline and dementia. As a result, it is essential to design new batteries, which will evaluate the abilities of cognitive control. It is also important these batteries not to require language skills, in order to minimize the influence of the patient's educational level.

The study

The R4Alz (REMEDES for Alzheimer) battery is a neuropsychological tool used for the assessment of cognitive control abilities. The battery comprises 3 different aspects of cognitive control (working memory, attention control, and executive function). The first subtests are assessing abilities such as working memory storage, working memory processing, working memory updating, while the next subtests are assessing attentional control abilities and specifically visual selective attention, sustained attention and divided attention. The last subtests are assessing inhibition, switching of attention, and cognitive flexibility. Every task includes 7 pads. Every pad is followed by a specific color, sound or figure depending on the task. The subtest's instructions are both verbal and no verbal (sketches). The battery's duration is almost an hour, while it's administration is quite simple.

Participation

The validation study is in progress and the pilot results will be announced very soon. For participating in the validation study please contact the Greek Association of Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (Alzheimer Hellas) in Thessaloniki via:

  • Visiting us in Petrou Sindika 13, Thessaloniki
  • Calling us at 2310 810 411 (internal line 34)
  • Sending a mail at poptsielena@gmail.com

Research results

  • Poptsi, Eleni, Emmanouil Tsardoulias, Despina Moraitou, Andreas L. Symeonidis, and Magda Tsolaki. “REMEDES for Alzheimer-R4Alz battery: Design and development of a new tool of cognitive control assessment for the diagnosis of minor and major neurocognitive disorders." Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 72, no. 3 (2019): 783-801. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190798
  • Poptsi, Eleni, Despina Moraitou, Emmanouil Tsardoulias, Andreas L. Symeonidisd, and Magda Tsolaki. “Is the discrimination of subjective cognitive decline from cognitively healthy adulthood and mild cognitive impairment possible? A pilot study utilizing the R4Alz battery." Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 77, no. 2 (2020): 715-732. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-200562
  • Poptsi, Eleni, Despina Moraitou, Emmanouil Tsardoulias, Andreas L. Symeonidis, Vasileios Papaliagkas, and Magdalini Tsolaki. 2023. “R4Alz-Revised: A Tool Able to Strongly Discriminate ‘Subjective Cognitive Decline’ from Healthy Cognition and ‘Minor Neurocognitive Disorder’" Diagnostics 13, no. 3: 338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030338
  • Poptsi, Eleni, Despina Moraitou, Emmanouil Tsardoulias, Andreas L. Symeonidis, and Magda Tsolaki. 2024. “Subjective Cognitive Impairment Can Be Detected from the Decline of Complex Cognition: Findings from the Examination of Remedes 4 Alzheimer’s (R4Alz) Structural Validity’" Brain Sciences 14, no. 6: 548. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14060548 

Collaborators

R4Alz is the result of the active collaboration of