Examining the relationship among measures of global cognition, executive function, and instrumental activities of daily living: can they all just get along?

摘要

The subtle nature of executive function deficits makes them difficult to identify in a clinical context and to measure how they impact an individual’s daily life. Clinical neuropsychological assessments alone are often unable to measure how executive deficiencies impact an individual’s daily life. The present study investigated the relationship among clinical screening measures of global cognition, measures of executive function, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Adults with Parkinson’s disease and neurologically healthy adults completed a battery of assessments including a clinical measure of general functional ability, the Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS), and a naturalistic shopping task, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Multiple Errands Test (UTC-MET). TFLS performance was better able to identify functional impairment, while the UTC-MET was able to distinguish inefficient behavior in Parkinson’s disease participants. Findings stress a symbiotic relationship among clinical and naturalistic measures and highlights the important role executive function plays in both.