Underestimation of Cognitive Impairment in Older Inpatients by the Abbreviated Mental Test Score versus the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Abbreviated Mental Test Score Cognitive screening Geriatric medicine Internal medicine Montreal Cognitive Assessment

Journal

Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders extra
ISSN: 1664-5464
Titre abrégé: Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101564825

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Historique:
received: 09 06 2020
accepted: 09 06 2020
entrez: 11 2 2021
pubmed: 12 2 2021
medline: 12 2 2021
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Cognitive impairment is prevalent in older inpatients but may be unrecognized. Screening to identify cognitive deficits is therefore important to optimize care. The 10-point Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) is widely used in acute hospital settings but its reliability for mild versus more severe cognitive impairment is unknown. We therefore studied the AMTS versus the 30-point Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older (≥75 years) inpatients. The AMTS and MoCA were administered to consecutive hospitalized patients at ≥72 h after admission in a prospective observational study. MoCA testing time was recorded. Reliability of the AMTS for the reference standard defined as mild (MoCA <26) or moderate/severe (MoCA <18) cognitive impairment was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of low AMTS (<8) for cognitive impairment were determined. Among 205 patients (mean/SD age = 84.9/6.3 years, 96 (46.8%) male, 74 (36.1%) dementia/delirium), mean/SD AMTS was 7.2/2.3, and mean/SD MoCA was 16.1/6.2 with mean/SD testing time = 17.9/7.2 min. 96/205 (46.8%) had low AMTS whereas 174/185 (94%) had low MoCA: 74/185 (40.0%) had mild and 100 (54.0%) had moderate/severe impairment. Moderate/severe cognitive impairment was more prevalent in the low versus the normal AMTS group: 74/83 (90%) versus 25/102 (25%, The AMTS is highly specific but relatively insensitive for cognitive impairment: a quarter of those with normal AMTS had moderate/severe impairment on the MoCA with widespread deficits. The AMTS cannot therefore be used as a "rule-out" test, and more detailed cognitive assessment will be required in selected patients.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND/AIMS OBJECTIVE
Cognitive impairment is prevalent in older inpatients but may be unrecognized. Screening to identify cognitive deficits is therefore important to optimize care. The 10-point Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) is widely used in acute hospital settings but its reliability for mild versus more severe cognitive impairment is unknown. We therefore studied the AMTS versus the 30-point Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older (≥75 years) inpatients.
METHODS METHODS
The AMTS and MoCA were administered to consecutive hospitalized patients at ≥72 h after admission in a prospective observational study. MoCA testing time was recorded. Reliability of the AMTS for the reference standard defined as mild (MoCA <26) or moderate/severe (MoCA <18) cognitive impairment was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of low AMTS (<8) for cognitive impairment were determined.
RESULTS RESULTS
Among 205 patients (mean/SD age = 84.9/6.3 years, 96 (46.8%) male, 74 (36.1%) dementia/delirium), mean/SD AMTS was 7.2/2.3, and mean/SD MoCA was 16.1/6.2 with mean/SD testing time = 17.9/7.2 min. 96/205 (46.8%) had low AMTS whereas 174/185 (94%) had low MoCA: 74/185 (40.0%) had mild and 100 (54.0%) had moderate/severe impairment. Moderate/severe cognitive impairment was more prevalent in the low versus the normal AMTS group: 74/83 (90%) versus 25/102 (25%,
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
The AMTS is highly specific but relatively insensitive for cognitive impairment: a quarter of those with normal AMTS had moderate/severe impairment on the MoCA with widespread deficits. The AMTS cannot therefore be used as a "rule-out" test, and more detailed cognitive assessment will be required in selected patients.

Identifiants

pubmed: 33569076
doi: 10.1159/000509357
pii: dee-0010-0205
pmc: PMC7841750
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

205-215

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2020 by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Auteurs

Alexander Emery (A)

Departments of Medicine and Geratology John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.

James Wells (J)

Departments of Medicine and Geratology John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Stephen P Klaus (SP)

Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Melissa Mather (M)

Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Ana Pessoa (A)

Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Sarah T Pendlebury (ST)

Departments of Medicine and Geratology John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Classifications MeSH