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Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, and vascular dementia: the role of the clock‐drawing test
Author(s) -
Allone Cettina,
Lo Buono Viviana,
Corallo Francesco,
Bonanno Lilla,
Palmeri Rosanna,
Di Lorenzo Giuseppe,
Marra Angela,
Bramanti Placido,
Marino Silvia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
psychogeriatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1479-8301
pISSN - 1346-3500
DOI - 10.1111/psyg.12294
Subject(s) - dementia , vascular dementia , cognitive impairment , cognition , disease , psychology , alzheimer's disease , cognitive decline , cognitive test , medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , audiology
Aim Cognitive impairment is present in several neurodegenerative disorders. The clock‐drawing test (CDT) represents a useful screening instrument for assessing the evolution of cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of the CDT in monitoring and differentiating the evolution of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's dementia (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods This study involved 139 patients, including 39 patients with PD and mild cognitive impairment, 16 demented PD patients, 21 VaD patients with mild cognitive impairment, 17 patients with VaD, 33 patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD, and 13 patients with probable AD. All participants completed the CDT. The Mini‐Mental State Examination was administered to establish patients’ cognitive functioning. Results Comparisons of quantitative and qualitative CDT scores showed significant differences between the various diseases. Impairment of executive functioning seems to be more pronounced in PD and VaD than in AD. Patients with AD committed more errors related to a loss of semantic knowledge, indicating a severely reduced capacity in abstract and conceptual thinking. Conclusion Results support the usefulness and sensitivity of the CDT in the detection of different dementia subtypes. Qualitative error analysis of the CDT may be helpful in differentiating PD, VaD, and AD, even in the early stages of each disease.