The WAIS-R profile: a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease?

A diagnostic index, based on WAIS-R subtests, to identify patients with Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT) and differentiate them from normal or depressed elderly was investigated. In a sample of 82 geriatric outpatient clinic patients who complained of memory loss, 22% of patients with probable DAT and 13% of nondemented patients obtained a positive profile. The occurrence of the profile in the two groups was not significantly different, nor were differences in education or severity of dementia found between subjects who did or did not obtain the profile. In a second sample of 173 elderly research volunteers, the profile occurred in 7% of DAT subjects, 10% of subjects complaining of memory loss who did not meet diagnostic criteria for DAT, 7% of nondemented major depressed subjects, and 7% of normal control subjects. Thus, the current investigation did not find the profile useful in differentiating DAT from other common disorders among elderly subjects. The authors conclude that a more comprehensive test battery remains the diagnostic tool of choice for differentiating DAT from other disorders.