VALIDITY OF INSTRUMENTS MEASURING COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN OLDER ADULT HISPANICS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodriguez, F; Kress, J; Arevalo, S
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 508
• Page End: 509
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1888
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive disorders in the Hispanic population in the US confronts medical professionals with the challenge of assessing cognitive functioning in a population subgroup that often does not even speak English. We conducted a systematic review to identify valid instruments for assessing cognitive functioning in Hispanics. A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases pubmed and web of science on November 1, 2017 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) standards. The quality of relevant studies was checked applying the STARD (Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy studies) standards. The literature search revealed n=40 studies with adequate quality that tested and reported on the validity of an instrument for Hispanics. A total of 19 instruments were investigated. The mini-mental status examination (MMSE) was the most frequently investigated instrument with high sensitivity for dementia but also with significant differences for ethnicity and education. Studies on the Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination-revised (ACE-R), the Cambridge Cognitive Examination Test-Revised (CAMCOG-R), and the Syndrom-Kurztest (SKT) also report sensitivity >90%, whereas naming tests did not seem to have a solid validity. Even though many studies evaluated the MMSE as an instruments for assessing cognitive impairment and dementia in older adult Hispanics, medical professionals should carefully select cutoffs by ethnic group and education. More research is needed study the practical use of cognitive assessments in the Hispanic population to avoid culturally biased under- or over-diagnosis.