Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) and mini-ACE for the detection of dementia and mild cognitive impairment

There is insufficient information in terms of both quality and quantity to recommend the use of either the ACE-III or mini-ACE for the screening of dementia or MCI in patients presenting with, or at high risk of, cognitive decline. No studies were conducted in a primary care setting so the accuracy of the ACE-III and mini-ACE in this setting are not known. Lower thresholds (82 for the ACE-III, and 21 for the mini-ACE) provide better specificity with acceptable sensitivity and may provide better clinical utility. The ACE-III and mini-ACE should only be used to support the diagnosis as an adjunct to a full clinical assessment. Further research is needed to determine the utility of the ACE-III and mini-ACE for the detection of dementia, dementia sub-types, and MCI. Specifically, the optimal thresholds for detection need to be determined in a variety of settings (primary care, secondary care (inpatient and outpatient), and community services), prevalences, and languages.