Lawton IADL scale in dementia: can item response theory make it more informative?
IRT methods are capable of providing more information about functional impairment than a summed score. 'Shopping' and 'Telephone use' were identified as items that reveal key information about a patient's level of ability, and could be useful screening questions for clinicians.
Our findings suggest that toxoplasma infection may be involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of AD. If confirmed, a positive correlation between toxoplasmosis and AD may lead to new approaches for the management of AD.