O'Carroll R E, Prentice N, Murray C, van Beck M, Ebmeier K P, Goodwin G M
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Br J Psychiatry. 1995 Nov;167(5):659-62. doi: 10.1192/bjp.167.5.659.
Pre-morbid intelligence level is routinely assessed in Alzheimer's disease using the National Adult Reading Test (NART). This practice is based on the assumption that pronunciation of irregular words remains unaffected by the disease process. Recent reports have suggested that reading ability may become compromised in moderately demented subjects.
Sixty-eight probably Alzheimer patients were classified into stages of severity (minimal, mild and moderate) using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). NART and demographic equations were used to estimate pre-morbid ability.
A significant correlation emerged between dementia severity and reading ability, NART v. MMSE scores, r = 0.46, P < 0.01. When the total sample was subdivided into moderate, mild and minimal subgroups, significant between-group differences emerged, despite the groups being well matched for age, sex, and years of full-time education. Pre-morbid IQ, as estimated by demographic regression equations, did not correlate with dementia severity.
NART performance is compromised in moderate Alzheimer disease, and the measure provides a serious underestimate of pre-morbid IQ in patients with an MMSE of 13 or less.
在阿尔茨海默病中，通常使用国家成人阅读测试（NART）来评估病前智力水平。这种做法基于这样一种假设，即不规则单词的发音不受疾病进程的影响。最近的报告表明，阅读能力在中度痴呆患者中可能会受到损害。
使用简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）将68例可能患有阿尔茨海默病的患者分为严重程度阶段（轻度、中度和重度）。使用NART和人口统计学方程来估计病前能力。
痴呆严重程度与阅读能力、NART与MMSE评分之间存在显著相关性，r = 0.46，P < 0.01。当将总样本细分为中度、轻度和重度亚组时，尽管各组在年龄、性别和全日制教育年限方面匹配良好，但组间仍出现了显著差异。通过人口统计学回归方程估计的病前智商与痴呆严重程度无关。
在中度阿尔茨海默病中，NART表现受损，该测量方法严重低估了MMSE为13或更低的患者的病前智商。
