A questionnaire to screen for cognitive impairment among elderly people in developing countries

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Assessment
• Public Health

Background:

• Western-developed cognitive impairment questionnaires may not suit developing countries due to cultural and literacy differences.
• There is a need for culturally relevant and accessible cognitive assessment tools for elderly populations in diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) for assessing cognitive impairment in elderly individuals in developing countries.
• To compare the performance of the ECAQ with an existing cognitive assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• The Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) was developed using items from the Mini-Mental State Examination and Geriatric Mental State Schedule.
• A study involving 105 elderly subjects in Singapore compared the ECAQ with Kahn's Mental Status Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• The ECAQ demonstrated high performance metrics: 85.3% sensitivity, 91.5% specificity, and 82.8% positive predictive value.
• Compared to Kahn's Mental Status Questionnaire, the ECAQ showed similar sensitivity but superior specificity and a lower overall miscalculation rate (10.5%).

Conclusions:

• The ECAQ is a satisfactory scale for the quantitative assessment of cognitive impairment among elderly people in developing countries.
• The ECAQ's high specificity and positive predictive value make it a valuable tool for cognitive screening in diverse elderly populations.