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Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) Calculator

Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) Calculator



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Cognitive Impairment Assessment: The Common Tests and Benefits

Cognitive impairment in elderly is often because of metabolic/endocrine derangements, depression, dementia and side-effects of medications. An early diagnosis of the problem could prevent worsening of the symptoms with medication and support. A study, however, revealed that physicians were unaware of cognitive impairment in more than 40 percent of the patients. There are trusted home health agencies in Dallas, TX that help in improving the mental acuity and overall engagement of the patient. Before you look out for a professional caregiver, it is important that the patient takes a cognitive impairment test for accurate diagnosis and treatment. In this blog post, we discuss more about the common test types, their benefits and important points to remember.

The Test

Though there are many types of cognitive decline assessment tests, we list the common ones referred by physical practitioners.

General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG)

The GPCOG has cognitive test items and questions historical questions that are asked of an informant.

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

Though a highly regarded test, the MMSE may not reveal accurate results in case the patient has a high level of educational attainment. It can not be a stand-alone test to identify cognitive impairment assessment.

The Six-item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT)

6CIT involves three orientation items:

Learning an address

Naming months of the year in reverse

Backward counting

 The test has a more complex scoring system than MMSE

Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE)

IQCODE provides a useful overview when it is combined with other cognitive tests such as MMSE. This helps in improving the sensitivity and specificity of the screening test. A patient is asked to compare the activities today with ten years ago.

Benefits of Early Screening

If the results of the test are positive, the patient needs to undergo a further evaluation to identify the causes of impairment. This would help in:

Deciding better treatment of underlying disease

More effective management of comorbid conditions

Averting potential safety issues

Preparing long-term care plan for the patient

Points to Remember

There is a need for cognitive decline assessment, if:

The patient, family members or others notice changes in the memory or thinking ability

The patient is age 80 or older

There’s a history of type 2 diabetes, stroke, or depression

Final Words

Cognitive impairment assessment can enable the patient to plan ahead when they are still capable of making decisions for the future. The family members and caregivers can further seek for the right advice and support on the basis of test results. The patient will get access to drugs and non-drug treatments, which may improve the quality of life and cognition.