Two-step screening for cognitive impairment : the Clock Test and the 3MS
Date
2001
Authors
O'Connell, Megan Eleine
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Abstract
This project examined the efficacy of using a combination of complementary screening tools to detect cognitive impairment in persons over 65 years old. Using data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, we examined whether the addition of the Clock Test components of Clock Drawing, Clock Setting, and/or Clock Reading (Tuokko, Hadjistavropoulos, Miller, Horton, & Beattie, 1995) to the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS; Teng & Chui, 1987) resulted in increased sensitivity and/or specificity when identifying persons with cognitive impairment. The verification bias in the sample was adjusted. Then each screening tool was compared over all possible cut-off points. The results indicated that the use of the Clock Drawing, Clock Setting, and/or Clock Reading tasks in combination with the 3MS did not improve the identification of persons with and without cognitive impairment over the 3MS alone. Equivalent results were found for different age, education level, and sex groups.