Overview
Neuropsychological tests currently considered to evaluate the cognitive performance of the oldest-old population (more than 80 years) are not adapted to this group population. This trial aims to determine the normal limits for this group population of a set of 18 neuropsychological test. Results may improve the diagnostic cognitive evaluation of this population.
Description
120 subjects more than 80y old (non-institutionalized) grouped in 4 age categories (80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95 or more) will be evaluated through 18 neuropsychological tests (usually considered at Memory Clinics).
Subjects will be recruited from 5 Primary Care Centers by a random selection method (stratified by age group).
Normal limits will be defined by the percentiles of test punctuation. Previously, punctuation will be adjusted by age and education level by lineal regression.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- 80 or more years old
- Residence at Comarca del Garraf
- Able to be transfered to study center
- Sufficient reading and writing capacity to carry out the neuropsychological tests, at the evaluator's discretion.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patient at end-of-life situation or with a very short life expectancy (days-weeks).
- Hospital admission in the previous 3 months.
- History of relevant mental illness: major depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Disease of the central nervous system with possible cognitive impairment: Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, stroke with cognitive impairment, epilepsy, severe traumatic brain injury.
- History of alcoholism or substance abuse.
- Severe sensory deficit that prevents performing neuropsychological tests, at the discretion of the evaluator.
- Positive Shortened Spanish Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline in the Elderly questionnaire (SS-IQCODE) or Lobo's Cognitive Mini-examination Test (spanish adaptation of Minimental of Folstein test) with a score < 23 (20 in people with low schooling or illiteracy).
- Dementia criteria according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV.