Improving Access to Dementia Care in the Era of Monoclonal Antibody Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Clinical Protocol Using Abbreviated Neuropsychological Assessment

Objective: To meet the growing demand for timely diagnosis in the new era of disease-modifying medications for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the present study aimed to reduce clinic wait times by developing and refining an abbreviated neuropsychological battery to assess individuals with a suspected amnestic process (i.e., Early-Stage AD Pathway). Method: Early-Stage AD Pathway patients were referred by an internal neurology provider who determined that the patient had: (1) an amnestic clinical presentation, (2) a normal neurological examination, and (3) a Montreal Cognitive Assessment total score between 18 and 25. These patients were scheduled for a 2-h neuropsychological evaluation, including a brief clinical interview and an abbreviated testing battery. We evaluated n = 19 patients in the Early-Stage AD Pathway and compared them to 114 older adults referred via traditional clinic procedures (i.e., General Clinic). Results: Most individuals evaluated via the Early-Stage AD Pathway were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 68.4%) or mild dementia (21.1%) through the neuropsychological evaluation. Rate of diagnosis of MCI/dementia was comparable between groups. The average number of days between initial referral and completion of the neuropsychological evaluation was significantly lower (M_diff = 145.8 days, U = 1867.500, p < 0.001) for the Early-Stage AD Pathway group than for the General Clinic group, as the former could be scheduled more flexibly. Conclusions: Implementing an abbreviated neuropsychological assessment process significantly reduced the time between referral and evaluation to identify individuals who may be eligible for emerging pharmacological treatments for AD and/or non-pharmacological interventions in a timely manner.