As someone who uses the NTB daily in his line of work, I think...

As someone who uses the NTB daily in his line of work, I think I'm more qualified than most to comment on its utility, and to realise BS when I read it.

In your own words, Skint (relevant section capitalised..."Encouraging signs of cognitive improvement, as measured by the Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB), were also observed. Statistically significant improvement was evident IN TWO OF THE FOUR EXECUTIVE Function NTB tests: the Category Fluency Test (p=0.028) and the Trail Making Test part B (p=0.005), both after 12 weeks of treatment at the 250mg dose compared to placebo."

So the PhIIa showed no improvement with ADAS-cog, but showed statistically significant improvement with NTB"

Incorrect...improvement on two of the four EXECUTIVE function NTB tests. The NTB covers multiple domains, one of which is the executive function test. More on the NTB is reproduced below, from http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/64/9/1323?ck=nck (Archives of Neurology)


"The NTB is composed of "paper-and-pencil" assessments and takes on average approximately 40 minutes to complete. The NTB consists of 9 validated components: Wechsler Memory Scale visual immediate (score range, 0-18), Wechsler Memory Scale verbal immediate (score range, 0-24), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) immediate (score range, 0-105), Wechsler Memory Digit Span (score range, 0-24), Controlled Word Association Test (COWAT), Category Fluency Test (CFT), Wechsler Memory Scale visual delayed (score range, 0-6), Wechsler Memory Scale verbal delayed (score range, 0-8), and RAVLT delayed (score range, 0-30).18 The RAVLT delayed measure is composed of delayed recall and recognition performance components that are summed to yield a score ranging from 0 to 30."

Executive function, in other words, forms a small part of the total battery, and in only two of the four componenets WITHIN THAT SMALL PART was improvement evident.

Your post does not indicate or reference, SKINT, where it has been stated that the failure to pick this up in initial analysis was a "mistake." If it looks, tastes, and smells like data trawling, it probably is.

Likewise, BS.....

Alois