Screening devices for diminished cognitive capacity.
This study compares three commonly used tests to detect organic mental disorders: the Mini-Mental State (MMS), Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination (CCSE), and Tachistoscope (T-Scope). Ninety-seven medical-surgical inpatients at the Mount Sinai Hospital referred for psychiatric consultation had a Missouri Mental Status Examination performed by a psychiatrist who also rated the patients' organic mental disorder as "none," "mild," "moderate," or "severe." The CCSE, MMS, and T-Scope, respectively, showed: sensitivity--0.54, 0.52, 0.68; specificity--0.85, 0.76, 0.79; and positive predictive value--0.83, 0.74, 0.79. False negatives occurred more often among those patients with mild organic mental disorders with all instruments (p = 0.05), while the T-Scope could not be administered in 27% of the patients. Screening instruments with increased acceptability, sensitivity, and specificity need to be developed to identify a potentially life-threatening disorder.
Strain
J J
JJ
Division of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
Fulop
G
G
Lebovits
A
A
Ginsberg
B
B
Robinson
M
M
Stern
A
A
Charap
P
P
Gany
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012017:Referral and Consultation