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Neuropsychological correlates of capacity determinations in Alzheimer disease: implications for assessment
Palmer BW, Ryan KA, Kim HM, Karlawish JH, Appelbaum PS, Kim SY.. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2013-01-11
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objectives To explore the neuropsychological correlates of the capacity to consent to research and to appoint a research proxy among persons with Alzheimer disease. Design, setting, and participants Interview study of 77 persons with Alzheimer disease recruited through an Alzheimer disease research center and a memory disorder clinic. Measurements The capacity to consent to two research scenarios (a drug randomized clinical trial and a neurosurgical clinical trial) and the capacity to appoint a research proxy were determined by five experienced consultation psychiatrists who rendered categorical judgments based on videotaped interviews of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Clinical Research and the Capacity to Appoint a Proxy Assessment. Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-Second Edition was used to assess neuropsychological functioning. Results The capacity to appoint a proxy and to consent to the drug randomized clinical trial, as determined by a majority or greater opinion of the five-psychiatrist panel, was predicted by Conceptualization and Initiation/Perseveration subscales, whereas the capacity to consent to a neurosurgical randomized clinical trial was predicted by the Memory subscale. Furthermore, the more lenient individual psychiatrists' judgments were predicted by the Conceptualization subscale, whereas the stricter psychiatrists' judgments were predicted by the Memory subscale. Conclusions How experienced psychiatrists view the capacity of patients with Alzheimer disease for consenting to research and for appointing a proxy may be related to the patients' conceptualization and memory functioning. More explicit and standardized guidance on the role of short-term memory in capacity determinations may be useful.
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APA 7th
Palmer, B. W., Ryan, K. A., Kim, H. M., Karlawish, J. H., Appelbaum, P. S., & Kim, S. Y. (2013). Neuropsychological correlates of capacity determinations in Alzheimer disease: implications for assessment. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2012.11.008
Vancouver
Palmer BW, Ryan KA, Kim HM, Karlawish JH, Appelbaum PS, Kim SY. Neuropsychological correlates of capacity determinations in Alzheimer disease: implications for assessment. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2012.11.008. PMID: 23498384.
BibTeX
@article{palmer2013-23498384,
author = {Palmer, B. W. and Ryan, K. A. and Kim, H. M. and Karlawish, J. H. and Appelbaum, P. S. and Kim, S. Y.},
title = {{Neuropsychological correlates of capacity determinations in Alzheimer disease: implications for assessment}},
journal = {The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2012.11.008},
pmid = {23498384},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2012.11.008}
}
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Key findings
- Results The capacity to appoint a proxy and to consent to the drug randomized clinical trial, as determined by a majority or greater opinion of the five-psychiatrist panel, was predicted by Conceptualization and Initiation/Perseveration subscales, whereas the capacity to consent to a neurosurgical randomized clinical trial was predicted by the Memory subscale.
Why it matters
In 77 people with Alzheimer disease, the ability to consent to research and to appoint a research proxy was linked to specific neuropsychological test scores. This is about how capacity is assessed, not about treating, curing, or preventing the disease.
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Study details
- Participants77
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 178 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 77 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 21 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.4 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Scott Y. H. Kim: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Michigan: institution h-index 2,240 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23498384) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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