Why the study?
Does a single self-reported measure of severe memory problems effectively screen for cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly women?
Does a single self-reported measure of severe memory problems effectively screen for cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly women?
A single self-reported question about severe memory problems has high specificity but low sensitivity for detecting cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly women, making it a potential first-stage screen.
Low sensitivity limits SMP as standalone screen; hypothesis-generating for sequential dementia testing in elderly women.
Undetected cognitive impairment (CI) and dementia are important clinical and epidemiological problems. This study addresses the effectiveness of using a single self-reported measure of severe memory problems (SMP) as a screen for CI and dementia. For the purposes of the study, 3220 elderly women participated in a mailed Health Survey Questionnaire and telephone interviews. Cognitive scores derived from the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status–modified (TICSm) were calculated. Based on a multi-stage assessment strategy, all subjects were classified in one of three status categories: dementia, CI, or unimpaired. The SMP question was suggestive of cognitive problems in the majority of responders. t-tests found affirmative responders scored much lower on the cognitive test than negative responders. The SMP question had a sensitivity of .24 and a specificity of .99 for screening CI and dementia. While other assessment measures are needed, the SMP question is highly suggestive of CI and may serve as a first-stage screen in clinical and research settings.
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Crooks et al. (2005) studied this question.
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