Abbreviated cognitive test for delirium

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Delirium is a common and serious condition in intensive care units (ICUs).
• Accurate and practical diagnostic tools are needed for delirium identification in critical care settings.
• The Cognitive Test for Delirium (CTD) was developed to aid in delirium diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate an abbreviated version of the Cognitive Test for Delirium (CTD).
• To assess the practicality and diagnostic accuracy of the abbreviated CTD in an ICU setting.

Main Methods:

• Stepwise discriminant analyses were performed on the original validation sample of the CTD.
• A reduced scoring method was developed using only two sub-scores: visual attention span and recognition memory for pictures.
• The abbreviated CTD's ability to discriminate delirium from dementia, schizophrenia, and depression was evaluated.

Main Results:

• The abbreviated CTD, using a sum of visual attention span and recognition memory for pictures, demonstrated good reliability (coefficient alpha = 0.79).
• This abbreviated score effectively discriminated delirium from dementia, schizophrenia, and depression (p < 0.0001).
• It also differentiated delirium from moderate to severe dementia (p < 0.0002).

Conclusions:

• An abbreviated version of the CTD is a reliable and valid tool for identifying delirium in the ICU.
• This shortened CTD is more practical for routine use by intensive care unit clinicians.
• The abbreviated CTD aids in distinguishing delirium from other psychiatric and cognitive disorders.