Spanish tools of cognitive and behavior assessment of alzheimer´s disease in severe state

Abstract

Background: There are different scales in Spanish for cognitive and behavioral assessment of patients with severe dementia. The objective of this study was to select those scales that are more accessible, useful and with better psychometric properties, both for clinical practice and for research.

Methods: Literature review, by experts in the field, of scales of cognitive and behavioral assessment in dementia in the main scientific databases. Published in Spanish or English, excluding those not validated in Spanish.

Results: 11 bibliographical references were selected. Cognitive scales: Severe Impairment Battery was the one with the most cognitive areas, its abbreviated version (SIB-s) had the best internal consistency (α=0.96), Baylor Profound Mental Status Examination had very good psychometric properties with 0.99 reliability and excellent concurrent validity with Mini-Mental State Examination (r=-0.91). Severe Cognitive Impairment Profile was the only one that allowed establishing subgroups of cognitive impairment. Behavioral scales: Neuropsychiatric Inventory was the gold standard in dementias, but there was only one specific scale for severe Alzheimer’s disease, the Baylor Profound Mental Status Examination behavioral subscale.

Conclusions: In Spanish severe dementia, Severe Cognitive Impairment Profile and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory are the gold standard tool for cognitive assessment for research studies, and the Baylor Profound Mental Status Examination is the most useful for daily clinical practice.