title: The assessment of changes in cognitive functioning in the elderly: age- and education-specific reliable change indices for the SIDAM.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnostic criteria for dementia include reliable evidence of cognitive deterioration over time measured by cognitive tests. The Structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type, Multi-infarct Dementia and Dementia of other Etiology according to DSM-III-R, DSM-IV and ICD-10 (SIDAM) is a neuropsychological instrument to determine cognitive status in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Normative data for changes in cognitive functioning that normally occur in cognitively healthy individuals are required to interpret changes in SIDAM test scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 1,090 cognitively healthy individuals participating in the German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe) aged 75 years and older was assessed four times at 1.5-year intervals over a period of 4.5 years using the SIDAM. Age- and education-specific reliable change indices (RCIs) accounting for probable measurement error and practice effects were computed for a 90% confidence interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across different age and education subgroups, changes from at least 3-5 points indicated significant (i.e. reliable) changes in SIDAM test scores at the 90% confidence level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study offers age- and education-specific normative data for the SIDAM based upon established RCI methods. The RCI scores provided in this study may help clinicians and researchers to interpret cognitive changes in SIDAM test scores and may contribute to the early detection and diagnosis of MCI and dementia in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 55, Leipzig, Germany. Janine.Stein@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tebarth
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heser
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eisele
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.forename: Edelgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mösch
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werle
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentzek
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Birgitt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prokein
authors.forename: Hans-Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leicht
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000592:standards; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000592:standards; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors