Demographic corrections for the modified telephone interview for cognitive status

Despite the growing use of the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) as a cognitive screening instrument, it does not yet have demographic corrections. Demographic data, mTICS, and a neuropsychological battery were collected from 274 community-dwelling older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairments. Age, education, premorbid intellect, and depression were correlated with mTICS scores. Using regression equations, age and education significantly predicted mTICS total score, and depression and premorbid intellect further enhanced this prediction. These results were comparable when only examining the 153 cognitively intact subjects. By using these corrections, clinicians and researchers can more accurately predict an individual's cognitive status with this telephone screening measure.