Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects between 4-6 percent of all elderly US residents over the age of 65 with annual associated costs over $100 billion. Research and development of new treatments is critically dependent on accurate and reliable assessment methods that address cognition and activities of daily living. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Inventory (ADLI) is the first comprehensive ADL instrument designed specifically for use in clinical trials of new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and is among the most widely accepted and applied such scales. The overall goal is to develop a computerized version of the ADLI that is equivalent to the paper-and-pencil version while conferring the advantages of contemporary information technologies. An equivalent, computerized version would be useful for implementing clinical trials of putative treatments for Alzheimer's disease, research protocols and possibly, routine clinical assessment. The main advantages of computerization include: standardized presentation, immediate electronic data capture, error-free tabulation and scoring; storage in a powerful, fully relational database and reduced staffing demands. In Phase I, a computerized ADLI with both self-administering and examiner-assisted modes will be compared to the standard ADLI. The proposed hardware-software ensemble would include the computerized ADLI, complementary assessment instruments, as well as a suite of software utilities to assist implementation and management of clinical trials and to comply with new FDA guidelines. This would be the first computerized ADL scale.
