. 2022 Jan;18(1):29-42.

doi: 10.1002/alz.12365. Epub 2021 May 13.

Harmonizing neuropsychological assessment for mild neurocognitive disorders in Europe

Marina Boccardi^{1

2}, Andreas U Monsch³, Clarissa Ferrari⁴, Daniele Altomare^{2

5}, Manfred Berres⁶, Isabelle Bos⁷, Andreas Buchmann⁸, Chiara Cerami^{9

10}, Mira Didic^{11

12}, Cristina Festari¹³, Valentina Nicolosi¹³, Leonardo Sacco¹⁴, Liesbeth Aerts¹⁵, Emiliano Albanese¹⁶, Jean-Marie Annoni¹⁷, Nicola Ballhausen¹⁸, Christian Chicherio⁵, Jean-François Démonet¹⁹, Virginie Descloux¹⁷, Suzie Diener²⁰, Daniel Ferreira²¹, Jean Georges²², Anton Gietl⁸, Nicola Girtler^{23

24}, Ingo Kilimann¹, Stefan Klöppel²⁵, Nicole Kustyniuk²⁵, Patrizia Mecocci²⁶, Nathalie Mella²⁷, Martina Pigliautile²⁶, Katrin Seeher¹⁵, Steven D Shirk²⁸, Alessio Toraldo²⁹, Andrea Brioschi-Guevara¹⁹, Kwun C G Chan³⁰, Paul K Crane³¹, Alessandra Dodich^{32

33}, Alice Grazia¹, Nicole A Kochan¹⁵, Fabricio Ferreira de Oliveira³⁴, Flavio Nobili^{35

24}, Walter Kukull³⁰, Oliver Peters³⁶, Inez Ramakers⁷, Perminder S Sachdev¹⁵, Stefan Teipel¹, Pieter Jelle Visser⁷, Michael Wagner^{37

38}, Sandra Weintraub³⁹, Eric Westman²¹, Lutz Froelich⁴⁰, Henry Brodaty¹⁵, Bruno Dubois⁴¹, Stefano F Cappa^{9

10}, David Salmon⁴², Bengt Winblad⁴³, Giovanni B Frisoni^{2

5}, Matthias Kliegel⁴⁴; Consortium for the Harmonization of Neuropsychological Assessment for Neurocognitive Disorders (https://nextcloud.dzne.de/index.php/s/EwXjLab9caQTbQe)

Collaborators, Affiliations

Collaborators

Consortium for the Harmonization of Neuropsychological Assessment for Neurocognitive Disorders (https://nextcloud.dzne.de/index.php/s/EwXjLab9caQTbQe):
Ingo Frommann, Sandra Roeske, Steffen Wolfsgruber, L'ubomira Anderkova, Felbecker Ansgar, Andrea Chincarini, Maria Cotelli, Eva Ntanasi, Daniel Damian, Janine Diehl-Schmid, Valentina Garibotto, Angélique Gruters, Manuela Guerreiro, Maximilian Haas, Göran Hagman, Ilona Hallikainen, Inga Mehrani, Tuomo Hanninen, Oskar Hansson, Jakub Hort, Adrian Ivanoiu, Frank Jessen, Luka Kulic, Gabriela Latour, Alberto Lleó, Rosa Manenti, Shima Mehrabian, Sharon Naismith, Pierre-Jean Ousset, Hans-Albert Pihan, Tideman Pontus, Geraint Price, Margarita Raycheva, Irena Rektorova, Stefania Rossi, Isabel Sala Matavera, Eric Salmon, Isabel Santana, Egemen Savaskan, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Ann-Katrin Schild, Tanja Richter-Schmidinger, Hilkka Soininen, Franziska Stalder, Katya Stoyanova, Latchezar Traykov, Paul Unschuld, Sergi Valero, Bruno Vellas, Asmus Vogel, Martin Vyhnalek, Gunhild Waldemar, Görser Yener, Deniz Yerlikaya

Affiliations

¹ DZNE - Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Rostock-Greifswald site, Rostock, Germany.
² LANVIE - Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Memory Clinic, University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ Unit of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
⁵ Memory Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Mathematics and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
⁸ Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
⁹ Institute for Advanced Studies (IUSS-Pavia), Pavia, Italy, Pavia, Italy.
¹⁰ IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
¹¹ APHM, Timone, Service de Neurologie et Neuropsychologie, Hôpital Timone Adultes, Marseille, France.
¹² Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm, INS, UMR_S 1106, 13005, Marseille, France.
¹³ Laboratory of Alzheimer's Neuroimaging and Epidemiology, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
¹⁴ Clinic of Neurology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
¹⁵ Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
¹⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁷ Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, University of Geneva and Fribourg Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁸ Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
¹⁹ Leenaards Memory Centre-CHUV, Clinical Neuroscience Department, Cité Hospitalière CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²⁰ Department of Neurology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
²¹ Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
²² Alzheimer Europe, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
²³ Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
²⁴ Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
²⁵ Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
²⁶ Department of Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
²⁷ Cognitive Aging Lab, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
²⁸ VISN 1 New England MIRECC and VISN 1 New England GRECC, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, Department of Psychiatry and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁹ Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
³⁰ National Alzheimer's Coordination Center (NACC), Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³¹ Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³² Neuroimaging and Innovative Molecular Tracers Laboratory, and Division of Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Departement, University of Geneva, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
³³ Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
³⁴ Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
³⁵ Neurology Clinic, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
³⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, ZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany.
³⁷ DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
³⁸ Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
³⁹ Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
⁴⁰ University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
⁴¹ Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Alzheimer Research Institute (IM2A), and Institut du cerveau et la moelle (ICM), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
⁴² Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, USA.
⁴³ Dept NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴⁴ Cognitive Aging Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 33984176
PMCID: PMC9642857
DOI: 10.1002/alz.12365

Harmonizing neuropsychological assessment for mild neurocognitive disorders in Europe

Marina Boccardi et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Jan.

. 2022 Jan;18(1):29-42.

doi: 10.1002/alz.12365. Epub 2021 May 13.

Authors

Collaborators

Consortium for the Harmonization of Neuropsychological Assessment for Neurocognitive Disorders (https://nextcloud.dzne.de/index.php/s/EwXjLab9caQTbQe):
Ingo Frommann, Sandra Roeske, Steffen Wolfsgruber, L'ubomira Anderkova, Felbecker Ansgar, Andrea Chincarini, Maria Cotelli, Eva Ntanasi, Daniel Damian, Janine Diehl-Schmid, Valentina Garibotto, Angélique Gruters, Manuela Guerreiro, Maximilian Haas, Göran Hagman, Ilona Hallikainen, Inga Mehrani, Tuomo Hanninen, Oskar Hansson, Jakub Hort, Adrian Ivanoiu, Frank Jessen, Luka Kulic, Gabriela Latour, Alberto Lleó, Rosa Manenti, Shima Mehrabian, Sharon Naismith, Pierre-Jean Ousset, Hans-Albert Pihan, Tideman Pontus, Geraint Price, Margarita Raycheva, Irena Rektorova, Stefania Rossi, Isabel Sala Matavera, Eric Salmon, Isabel Santana, Egemen Savaskan, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Ann-Katrin Schild, Tanja Richter-Schmidinger, Hilkka Soininen, Franziska Stalder, Katya Stoyanova, Latchezar Traykov, Paul Unschuld, Sergi Valero, Bruno Vellas, Asmus Vogel, Martin Vyhnalek, Gunhild Waldemar, Görser Yener, Deniz Yerlikaya

Affiliations

¹ DZNE - Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Rostock-Greifswald site, Rostock, Germany.
² LANVIE - Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Memory Clinic, University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ Unit of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
⁵ Memory Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Mathematics and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
⁸ Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland.
⁹ Institute for Advanced Studies (IUSS-Pavia), Pavia, Italy, Pavia, Italy.
¹⁰ IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
¹¹ APHM, Timone, Service de Neurologie et Neuropsychologie, Hôpital Timone Adultes, Marseille, France.
¹² Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm, INS, UMR_S 1106, 13005, Marseille, France.
¹³ Laboratory of Alzheimer's Neuroimaging and Epidemiology, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
¹⁴ Clinic of Neurology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
¹⁵ Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
¹⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁷ Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, University of Geneva and Fribourg Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁸ Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
¹⁹ Leenaards Memory Centre-CHUV, Clinical Neuroscience Department, Cité Hospitalière CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²⁰ Department of Neurology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
²¹ Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
²² Alzheimer Europe, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
²³ Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
²⁴ Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
²⁵ Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
²⁶ Department of Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
²⁷ Cognitive Aging Lab, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
²⁸ VISN 1 New England MIRECC and VISN 1 New England GRECC, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, Department of Psychiatry and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁹ Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
³⁰ National Alzheimer's Coordination Center (NACC), Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³¹ Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³² Neuroimaging and Innovative Molecular Tracers Laboratory, and Division of Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Departement, University of Geneva, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
³³ Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
³⁴ Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
³⁵ Neurology Clinic, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
³⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, ZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany.
³⁷ DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
³⁸ Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
³⁹ Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
⁴⁰ University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
⁴¹ Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Alzheimer Research Institute (IM2A), and Institut du cerveau et la moelle (ICM), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
⁴² Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, USA.
⁴³ Dept NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴⁴ Cognitive Aging Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 33984176
PMCID: PMC9642857
DOI: 10.1002/alz.12365

Abstract

Introduction: Harmonized neuropsychological assessment for neurocognitive disorders, an international priority for valid and reliable diagnostic procedures, has been achieved only in specific countries or research contexts.

Methods: To harmonize the assessment of mild cognitive impairment in Europe, a workshop (Geneva, May 2018) convened stakeholders, methodologists, academic, and non-academic clinicians and experts from European, US, and Australian harmonization initiatives.

Results: With formal presentations and thematic working-groups we defined a standard battery consistent with the U.S. Uniform DataSet, version 3, and homogeneous methodology to obtain consistent normative data across tests and languages. Adaptations consist of including two tests specific to typical Alzheimer's disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. The methodology for harmonized normative data includes consensus definition of cognitively normal controls, classification of confounding factors (age, sex, and education), and calculation of minimum sample sizes.

Discussion: This expert consensus allows harmonizing the diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders across European countries and possibly beyond.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; cognitive assessment; diagnosis; mild cognitive impairment; mild neurocognitive disorders; standard neuropsychological assessment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

I. Bos received grants from Innovative Medicine Initiative Joint Undertaking. H. Brodaty received personal fees from Nutrivia Australia. S. Cappa received personal fees from Biogen. W. Kukull received grants from National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA). F. Oliveira received personal fees from Gerson Lehrman Group and Atheneum Partners.

O. Peters received personal fees from Biogen; grants and personal fees from Roche; and grants from Novartis, Janssen, Pharmatrophix, and Eisai.

P. Sachdev received grants from NHMRC Australia and personal fees from Biogen Pharmaceuticals.

D. Salmon received consulting fees from Biogen, Inc. and Aptinyx, Inc.

Teipel received personal fees from Roche Pharma AG, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH, and Biogen.

P.J. Visser received grants from Innovative Medicine Initiative, ZONmW, and Biogen.

B. Winblad received advisory board fees from AlzeCure, Alzinova, and Axon Neuroscience.

The other authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Consensus procedure used for defining the cUDS and the methods to generate harmonized normative values

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. APA. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th. 2013.
1. Albert MS, DeKosky ST, Dickson D, et al. The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7(3):270–279. - PMC - PubMed
1. Cerami C, Dubois B, Boccardi M, Monsch AU, Demonet JF, Cappa SF. Clinical validity of delayed recall tests as a gateway biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease in the context of a structured 5-phase development framework. Neurobiol Aging. 2017;52:153–166. - PubMed
1. Frisoni GB, Boccardi M, Barkhof F, et al. Strategic roadmap for an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease based on biomarkers. Lancet Neurol. 2017;16(8):661–676. - PubMed
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Harmonizing neuropsychological assessment for mild neurocognitive disorders in Europe

Collaborators

Affiliations

Harmonizing neuropsychological assessment for mild neurocognitive disorders in Europe

Authors

Collaborators

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources