The abbreviated form of the brief cognitive battery in the diagnosis of dementia in Alzheimer's disease

• Grant number: 08/05099-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2008
• End date: August 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Nitrini
• Grantee: Stephanie Catarine Carqueijo de Castro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Brief Cognitive Battery, developed by Nitrini and cols., was originally designed to evaluate individuals with low levels of education. In previous studies, however, it has also been shown to be highly accurate in the diagnosis of dementia in individuals with medium and high levels of education, and it has become an useful tool for clinical practice in the majority of developing countries, that have populations with heterogeneous educational background. Nevertheless, an average time of eight minutes is necessary only for its application. It is possible that, excluding some of its items, the battery will have this long time reduced without changing its accuracy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of an abbreviated form of the Brief Cognitive Battery. It will be administered to thirty mildly demented patients from CEREDIC (Reference Center for Cognitive Disorders) and thirty control subjects, both groups matched for age, gender and schooling. ROC curves and a mathematical model will be used to evaluate the accuracy, which will be compared to previous data. (AU)