Clock Drawing Test: qualitative analysis by levels of schooling.

• Grant number: 11/10521-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2011
• End date: December 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Monica Sanches Yassuda
• Grantee: Aline Teixeira Fabricio
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is among the most used cognitive screening tests. It has good accuracy for the diagnosis of dementia as it investigates several cognitive abilities. Choosing the best correction scale for the CDT can be challenging since they all have advantages and drawbacks. Yet, a qualitative scale for the analysis of the CDT has not been studied in Brazil. This type of scale can provide a more detailed cognitive profile of older adults who may have different types of dementia. Qualitative analysis of the CDT performed by elderly without dementia may contribute to the understanding of the typical performance of different education strata. Objective: To translate and adapt a method of qualitative analysis of the CDT and to describe the pattern of performance and the typical errors observed in the CDT by levels of schooling among elderly Brazilians without dementia or depression. Participants: For this study the data from the cognitive evaluation protocol of 150 elderly people who attended a memory workshop from the UNATI EACH USP will be analyzed. These seniors will be divided into three levels of schooling (1-4 years, 5-8 years, and over 8). Elderly with dementia signs on the Mini-Mental State Examination and/or depression on the Geriatric Depression Scale will be excluded from analysis. The Rouleau Qualitative Analysis of Errors will be the focus of this study and it will be compared to the standard quantitative methods, such as the Sunderland and the Shulman scales. Demographic data, the MMSE and the GDS scores will also enter in the statistical analyses.