Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) rated by trained board-certified psychiatrists.
A standardized interview form based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) required for the diagnosis of present and past major depressive episodes.
The Blessed Dementia Scale-Activity of Daily Living (BDS-ADL)
Physical and neurological examinations performed by clinicians
Detailed demographic variables including education and occupation
Current and past medical comorbidities
Vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, stroke, and transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Family history (FH) of dementia
Use of medication and nutraceuticals,
Smoking, alcohol, and coffee intake
Height, weight, BMI and other anthropometric variables (i.e. circumferences of waist, hip, head, neck, upper arm, etc.)
Systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP)
Ankle brachial pressure index (ABI)