Reliability and Acceptability of an Abbreviated Version of a Performance-Based Test of Cognition and Daily Function in Older Adults for Dementia Screening Without an Informant in the United States
Jill W. Love, Andrew Hooyman, Kylie B. Tomlin, Sydney Y. SchaeferIntroduction/Objective
Primary care and community health providers are often at the front lines of dementia screening. However, many providers rely on clinical judgment and subjective feedback from either the patient or a reliable informant to screen for cognitive and functional concerns, in part because many objective tests are too long and burdensome. Recently, a timed performance-based test has been developed to minimize the effects of patient characteristics (e.g., sex, education) on screening results and eliminate the need for an informant. This study evaluated the reliability and acceptability of a shorter version of this performance-based test.
Methods
A non-representative convenience sample of 50 community-dwelling older adults (mean±SD age: 75.4±7.0 years) in Los Angeles County, California (United States) and surrounding areas completed the original six-trial version, while the duration of each repetition of each trial was also recorded. Survey and free responses were also collected.
Results
The most reliable abbreviated version involved only three trials (mean completion time=232 seconds), 48% faster than the original version with an ICC=0.78. Participant feedback indicated acceptability based on overall positive experiences with the test and willingness to complete the test in a clinical setting.
Conclusions
A reliable and acceptable shorter version of the test was developed. Future work will evaluate test feasibility in primary care and community health settings.