Comparison of three instruments used in the assessment of dementia in Sri Lanka

BACKGROUND: Dementia is poorly recognized even by physicians. This study compares three instruments used to assess dementia in a community setting in Sri Lanka. METHOD: Translated and culturally adapted versions of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were administered to 363 individuals selected by stratified random sampling in a periurban community in Sri Lanka. The results on the three instruments were compared with the independent psychiatric evaluation done on a concentrated sample of 37 individuals from the study population. RESULTS: Culturally adapted MMSE, IQCODE and CDR can be used to screen dementia in Sri Lanka. IQCODE is the best among the three instruments with a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 82.6% when 3.5 is the cut-off. In addition, IQCODE is culturally acceptable, easy to administer and can be used in those with a low level of literacy as well as in those with hearing or visual impairment. CONCLUSION: IQCODE was found to be more effective and culturally acceptable as a screening tool for dementia in Sri Lanka, compared with MMSE and CDR.