CERAD-NP and flexible battery approach in the neuropsychological differential diagnosis of dementia versus depression

Abstract

The neuropsychological battery suggested by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-NP) has become widely used for the cognitive assessment of dementia. We investigated the differential diagnostic properties of this instrument in outpatients with mild Alzheimer's dementia (N = 70) or depression (N = 43) and compared them to those of a more extensive neuropsychological assessment procedure following the Flexible Battery Approach. Nearly all variables of both psychometric batteries showed significant (p < .0005) group differences, and discriminant function analyses allowed for correct classification rates between 88% and 96%. In addition, effect sizes and classifi..