title: Screening devices for diminished cognitive capacity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fulop
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebovits
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Charap
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gany
mesh_terms: 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