Necker cube copying ability in normal elderly and Alzheimer's disease. A community‐based study: The Tajiri project

Abstract

Background:The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of normal elderly participants and patients with Alzheimer's disease to copy the Necker cube. Method: One hundred and seventy elderly participants were randomly selected from the town of Tajiri, northern Japan, and were classified into three groups based on the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR): CDR 0, healthy; CDR 0.5, questionable dementia; and CDR 1 and 2, mild and moderate dementia. Dementia patients (CDR 1 and 2) met the criteria of probable AD of the NINCDS-ADRDA. Using eight original criteria, we examined their ability to copy the Necker cube. Results: Most CDR 0 participants could at least succeed in copying a simple cube. About a half of the AD patients could not draw a threedimensional figure. Among the CDR 0.5 participants, we found a 'two-peak' distribution. Conclusion: Copying the Necker cube may be one useful task for the detection of very mild Alzheimer's disease.

Slower adaptation to driving simulator and simulator sickness in older adults Aging Clinical and Experimental Research

“…To assess attention and executive function, the forward and backw k k ard digit span subtests of the Wechsler (17) and the paper-based Stroop Test (18) were completed. The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) (19) and Necker cube copying task (20) were completed to assess visuospatial function in elderly adults. An experienced psychologist examined all participants by the above test battery.…”

The Usefulness of Cube Copying for Evaluating Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

“…It has been used in previous studies as part of quantifying the cube-copying assessment, but the correlation with evaluation instruments has not been investigated. 15,20 …”

Combined Memory and Executive Function Tests Can Screen Mild Cognitive Impairment and Converters to Dementia in a Community: The Osaki-Tajiri Project

“…The participants underwent various tests assessing the following cognitive domains: memory, orientation, attention, executive function, abstraction and judgment, language, visuospatial function, praxis, and depressive score. We used the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) [11] , the Japanese version of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scalecognitive part (ADAS-J cog) [12] , the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test [13,14] , the Trail-Making Test parts A and B (TMT-A/TMT-B) [14] , the Weigl Color Form Sorting Test [14] , the Visual Form Discrimination Test [15] , Necker cube copying [16] , the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) [17] , Pantomimes of use of objects [18] , Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) [19] . The actual tests performed are described in table 2 .…”