Using data collected within the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort, researchers examined how commonly used cognitive screening tools relate to difficulties in everyday activities in people with biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Study approach

In this study, data from 1,228 participants from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort were analyzed. All participants showed biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease, meaning that changes in the brain associated with the disease could be detected before or alongside cognitive symptoms. The study explored how global cognitive screeners, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), relate to everyday functioning.

Key findings

Everyday functioning was assessed using the Amsterdam Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (A-IADL-Q-30), which focuses on complex daily activities relevant to independent living. The findings show that higher cognitive scores were associated with better overall daily functioning, but the association was moderate. Importantly, even participants with relatively high cognitive scores already experienced difficulties in activities such as working, using a computer, and managing household finances.

Relevance for research and practice

These results illustrate that cognitive screening alone does not fully reflect how people function in daily life. Combining cognitive measures with detailed information on everyday activities provides a more complete understanding of disease progression and supports more meaningful interpretation of outcomes in both research and clinical practice.

The full research article is available here: The relationship between cognitive screeners and everyday functioning in amyloid‐positive participants from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort.