Validation of the seven-minute screen neurocognitive battery for the diagnosis of dementia in a Spanish population-based sample

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders Vol. 22; no. 5-6; p. 454
• Main Authors: del Ser, Teodoro, Sánchez-Sánchez, Fernando, García de Yébenes, María Jesús, Otero, Angel, Munoz, David G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-01-2006
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Dementia - diagnosis; Dementia - epidemiology; Demography; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Recall; Neuropsychological Tests; Population Surveillance - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; Spain - epidemiology; Time Factors; Spain
• ISSN: 1420-8008
• DOI: 10.1159/000095858

To validate the Seven-Minute Screen Neurocognitive Battery (7MS) in an elderly population-based sample to identify dementia using a new scoring method.
Five hundred and twenty-seven home-dwelling elderly were assessed with a neurological and neuropsychological exam. The total score of the 7MS was the sum of z scores of its subtests. Dementia was diagnosed according to DSM-IV. The ROC curve and the diagnostic parameters of the 7MS were calculated.
The 7MS could be fully applied in 416 cases (78.9%), and 48 were diagnosed as demented independently of the 7MS. The four 7MS subtests correctly classified 97.6% of cases by discriminant analysis; orientation and memory were the most discriminative. Factorial analysis showed a single dimension in the 7MS. The ROC curve area for diagnosis of dementia was 0.996 (95% CI 0.992-1), sensitivity 100%, specificity 95.1%, and diagnostic accuracy 96.8%. All these parameters were higher than those of other cognitive screening tests. Dementia explained 54.9% of the variance of the 7MS, and age 3.1%; sex and education did not have a significant effect.
The 7MS is a valid tool for the diagnosis of dementia, even when cognitive decline is mild, although it may not be appropriate for extensive epidemiological surveys.