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The Self Test: a screening tool for dementia requiring minimal supervision
Mateja de Leonni Stanonik1, Charles A Licata, Norman C Walton
1The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Cole Neuroscience Center, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA. mstanoni@tennessee.edu
International Psychogeriatrics
|October 26, 2005
Summary
The new Self Test (ST) effectively screens for dementia, correlating well with the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). This reliable and valid cognitive screening tool is easy to administer, even by untrained individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Dementia screening requires reliable and valid tools.
- The Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) is a common but sometimes complex measure.
- A simpler, comprehensive screening test is needed for early dementia detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate the Self Test (ST) with the MMSE for dementia screening.
- To establish the reliability and validity of the ST.
- To assess the ST's utility in a memory clinic setting.
Main Methods:
- Administered the ST to 42 memory clinic referrals and 41 age-matched controls over 12 months.
- Correlated ST scores with MMSE cognitive severity.
- Performed reliability analyses including Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability using ICC.
Main Results:
- ST scores showed a strong correlation with MMSE (r = 0.71, p < 0.01).
- Area under the ROC curve (AUROCC) for Alzheimer's disease detection was 0.80 (low education) and 0.89 (high education).
- Demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.70) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93).
Conclusions:
- The ST is an internally consistent, reliable, and valid screening tool for cognitive impairment in early dementia.
- The ST requires minimal supervision and can be administered by untrained personnel.
- The ST shows promise as an accessible screening method for dementia.