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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Caregiving

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

This study presents the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), developed for ALS patients with physical disability for use by health care professionals. The screen is designed to detect the specific profile of cognition and behaviour changes in ALS and to differentiate it from other disorders. Forty-eight ALS patients (none with evident dementia), 40 healthy controls and 20 carers were recruited. The ECAS, a 15-20-min screen, includes an ALS-Specific score (executive functions and social cognition; fluency; language); an ALS Non-specific score (memory; visuospatial functions); and a carer behaviour screen of five domains characteristic of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Data from healthy controls produced abnormality cut-offs of 77/100 ALS-Specific score; 24/36 ALS Non-specific score; 105/136 ECAS Total. Twenty-nine percent of patients showed abnormal ALS-Specific scores, and 6% also showed abnormal ALS Non-specific scores. The most prevalent deficit occurred in language functions (35%) followed by executive functions and fluency (23% each). Forty percent of carers reported behaviour change in at least one domain, while 15% met criteria for possible FTD. In conclusion, the ECAS is an effective within-clinic assessment for ALS that determines the presence, severity and type of cognitive and/or behavioural changes, an essential first step to managing these symptoms.

Key findings

In conclusion, the ECAS is an effective within-clinic assessment for ALS that determines the presence, severity and type of cognitive and/or behavioural changes, an essential first step to managing these symptoms.

Why it matters

This study presents a screening tool (the ECAS) for detecting cognitive and behavioral changes in people with ALS, and found language and executive deficits in some patients. It is about assessment in ALS, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration)
Journal's citation record	0 / 4	Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration: journal h-index 73 (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	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 574 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	41.0 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 16.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 9 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 147 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Thomas H. Bak: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Edinburgh: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23781974)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	44 / 100	—

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Read the original

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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Abrahams, S., Newton, J., Niven, E., Foley, J., & Bak, T. H. (2014). Screening for cognition and behaviour changes in ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration. https://doi.org/10.3109/21678421.2013.805784

Vancouver

Abrahams S, Newton J, Niven E, Foley J, Bak TH. Screening for cognition and behaviour changes in ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration. 2014. doi:10.3109/21678421.2013.805784. PMID: 23781974.

BibTeX

@article{abrahams2014-23781974,
  author  = {Abrahams, S. and Newton, J. and Niven, E. and Foley, J. and Bak, T. H.},
  title   = {{Screening for cognition and behaviour changes in ALS}},
  journal = {Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis \& frontotemporal degeneration},
  year    = {2014},
  doi     = {10.3109/21678421.2013.805784},
  pmid    = {23781974},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3109/21678421.2013.805784}
}

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