The cognitive change checklist (3CL): cross-validation of a measure of change in everyday cognition.
OBJECTIVE
The recently developed cognitive change checklist (3CL) is comprised of four scales titled memory, executive, language, and remote recall. A previous study demonstrated that the checklist met criteria for reliability and validity in characterizing cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia in a memory disorder clinic sample. In this study we examined further the reliability, validity, and efficacy of the 3CL in distinguishing among groups of normal individuals, those with cognitive complaints, amnestic and non-amnestic MCI cases, and early-stage demented individuals.


METHODS
Scale validation study.


METHODS
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-five individuals who completed extensive evaluations as part of a longitudinal study of cognitive change.


RESULTS
Scale reliabilities were found to be well within guidelines to support their use in the clinical assessment of change in global and specific cognitive domains. The factor structure of the 3CL was found to be highly similar to that originally reported. Validation support was obtained from correlational analyses that showed significant scale relationships with neurocognitive measures and with MRI ratings of medial temporal atrophy. Informant 3CL scales were found to discriminate individuals with cognitive complaints but without clinical findings from those individuals with amnestic MCI or early dementia.


CONCLUSIONS
Results extend the foundation of support for the use of the 3CL as a measure to facilitate identification of cases of MCI and early AD. Further examination of the diagnostic utility of the scale, and of its value in combination with cognitive screening measures, will also be required.
Schinka
John A
JA
James A. Haley VA Medical Center, Tampa, FL, USA. jschinka@health.usf.edu
Raj
Ashok
A
Loewenstein
David A
DA
Small
Brent J
BJ
Duara
Ranjan
R
Potter
Huntington
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000647:Amnesia; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001284:Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis; D057189:Checklist; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology