[Clinical utility of three evaluation instruments for persons with dementia]

Occupational therapists are increasingly involved in the diagnostic process of cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Three tools designed to facilitate the evaluation process were examined in order to document their diagnostic qualities and the nature of the association between their results: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Protocole d'examen cognitif de la personne âgée (PECPA-2r) and the Système de mesure de l'autonomie fonctionnelle (SMAF).

A cross-sectional correlative study was used in order to document the association between the results obtained with the three tools when they were used with aging adults referred to the project by their attending physician.

Fifty-two older adults with a suspected cognitive impairment participated in the study. The results of the study indicate that a strong correlation exists between the scores obtained with the three evaluation tools. The MMSE scores would be an excellent predictor of the PECPA-2r and the SMAF scores. The degree of cognitive impairment would be a good predictor of the degree of impairment of the autonomy.

Referring physicians found some of the evaluators' observations made during the administration of the PECPA-2r and the SMAF particularly useful for their subsequent diagnostic processes. The shorter administration time for the MMSE did not provide for such observations, while the PECPA-2r and the SMAF allowed more time for these kinds of observations. Occupational therapists are invited to examine carefully their intentions when choosing their evaluation tools.