[BAC 40 battery: a tool of cognitive evaluation for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease at the specialist office].
BAC 40 is a "composite" battery of psychometric tests useful for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia. It was elaborated using the modified Mini-Mental Status (MMS). The advantage is to establish a diagnosis in less than 20 minutes, exploring all the sectors of cognitive life. This tool was validated in a control population of 103 aged normal subjects and in 97 patients living at home or in institution and attending a neurology outpatient clinic for a memory complain. The scores obtained with "BAC 40" and the "ADAS-COG SCALE" were compared in all patients. The statistical analysis demonstrated a good correlation between the two scales, with a Spearman coefficient of -0.72 for the controls, and -0.90 for the patients. Cutoff values were determined below which a pathologic dementia process can be highly suspected. Score variations according to different parameters, and particularly in function of age, are given.
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Cabinet de neurologie, boulevard De Brosses, Dijon, France. olivierguard@yahoo.fr
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009819:Office Visits; D011594:Psychometrics