Cognitive performance and informant reports in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia in African Americans and whites.

TitleCognitive performance and informant reports in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia in African Americans and whites.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsPotter, GG, Plassman, BL, Burke, JR, Kabeto, MU, Langa, KM, Llewellyn, DJ, Rogers, MAM, Steffens, DC
JournalAlzheimers Dement
Volume5
Issue6
Pagination445-53
Date Published2009 Nov
ISSN Number1552-5279
KeywordsActivities of Daily Living, Age of Onset, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Caregivers, Cognition Disorders, Cohort Studies, Culture, Dementia, Disability Evaluation, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological tests, Observer Variation, Population Surveillance, Predictive Value of Tests, Prevalence, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Registries, Sensitivity and Specificity, Surveys and Questionnaires, White People
Abstract

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia must reflect an increasingly diverse and aging United States population. This study compared direct testing and informant reports of cognition with clinical diagnoses of cognitive impairment and dementia between African Americans and whites.

METHODS: Participants in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study completed in-person dementia evaluations, and were assigned clinical diagnoses (by a consensus panel of dementia experts) of normal; cognitive impairment, not demented (CIND); and dementia. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) total score and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) were used to assess cognitive performance and reported cognitive decline.

RESULTS: A higher CERAD total score was associated with lower odds of CIND and dementia, at comparable ratios between African Americans and whites. Higher IQCODE scores were associated with increased odds of dementia in both African Americans and whites. Higher IQCODE scores were associated with increased odds of CIND among whites, but not among African Americans.

CONCLUSIONS: Cultural differences may influence informant reports of prevalent CIND and dementia. Our findings also highlight the need for more comparative research to establish the cultural validity of measures used to diagnose these conditions.

DOI10.1016/j.jalz.2009.04.1234
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19896583?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

CERAD/IQCODE/Cognitive decline/Dementia/African American

Endnote ID

25240

Alternate JournalAlzheimers Dement
Citation Key7413
PubMed ID19896583
PubMed Central IDPMC2805266
Grant ListR01 AG027010 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG027010-03 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG09740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States