CogEvo, a cognitive function balancer, is a sensitive and easy psychiatric test battery for age‐related cognitive decline

AIM: We examined whether a newly developed computer‐aided neuropsychiatric series of test, CogEvo, is necessary and sufficient for the evaluation of cognitive function in older people. METHODS: A total of 272 participants in worthwhile life activity for the prevention of decline in mobility and cognitive function were administered tests every week at 33 locations in Fukaura‐machi, Japan. Basic profile information, a Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), a CogEvo and a clock drawing test were used in the present study. RESULTS: Our results are summarized as: (i) the total score of the CogEvo and MMSE tests decreased significantly according to age and in age group analysis; (ii) scores from the CogEvo and MMSE tests showed a significant correlation; (iii) MMSE scores showed marked ceiling effects; (iv) analysis of cognitive domains, such as orientation, attention, memory and executive function, and spatial cognition using CogEvo showed significant age‐dependent impairment; (v) CogEvo discriminated three score groups of MMSE results with sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 60% in the <23 score group, 78% and 54% in the 24–26 score group, and 85% and 70% in the >27 score group, respectively; (vi) CogEvo memory tests reflected more detailed recall function than registration function; and (vii) CogEvo spatial cognition test results were correlated with test items of the MMSE and clock drawing tests. CONCLUSIONS: CogEvo is an easy and potentially useful computer‐aided test battery that can be used to evaluate age‐related or pathological decline in cognitive function from middle age and in preclinical stages of dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; ••: ••–••.