The challenge of time: Clock‐drawing and cognitive function in the elderly

Abstract This study compares the ‘clock‐drawing test’ to two standardized cognitive screens in an elderly population. A newly developed hierarchical classification of errors in clock‐drawing correlated well with the severity of scores on both cognitive and screens and also demonstrated acceptable standards for sensitivity and specificity. Clock‐drawing appears to be a practical test which can be useful for clinicians as a screen for cognitive impairment in old age and possibly as a marker of change in cognitive status.