Utilizing timed categorical recall (naming US cities) for rapid bedside dementia screening

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cognitive Science
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Dementia screening requires efficient clinical tools.
• Current methods can be time-consuming.
• A rapid, validated screening is clinically needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a 1-minute timed categorical recall (TCR) test for dementia screening.
• To compare TCR's efficacy against the Folstein Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE).

Main Methods:

• 349 volunteers (18-97 years) participated.
• Participants named US cities for 1 minute (TCR).
• MMSE was administered to 122 participants for comparison.

Main Results:

• TCR achieved 0.80 accuracy, 0.78 sensitivity, and 0.81 specificity.
• Subgroup thresholds based on age, education, and travel improved accuracy.
• A global threshold of 9 cities was identified, with higher thresholds for specific subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Timed categorical recall (TCR) is a time-efficient preliminary dementia screening tool.
• TCR demonstrates improved sensitivity and comparable specificity to MMSE.
• This bedside test can aid in identifying individuals needing further cognitive evaluation.